


I Put a Spell on You

by AkaraSoma, dr34m3rgurl



Series: The Awesome Adventures of an OC [3]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Childhood Trauma, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Major Character Injury, Multi, Original Character(s), Physical Abuse, They get better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-02-17 18:57:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 68,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13083267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkaraSoma/pseuds/AkaraSoma, https://archiveofourown.org/users/dr34m3rgurl/pseuds/dr34m3rgurl
Summary: When you get your Soul Mark, isn't it supposed to make you happy? At first, Guzma was ecstatic when he saw the name of his other half appear on his skin. His father was wrong - there WAS someone out there for him and he would be happy with them! But as the years passed, they never showed up. Guzma's been hiding his mark since he started working for Lusamine, to protect them just in case. Now, a year after going to Ultra Space and Rainbow Rocket, his secret is out, and it has more to do with the new Champion than he'd like.





	1. Origin Pulse

**Author's Note:**

> Sun's name is changed to Sol so I can feel a little more original lol  
> Have any questions, just ask!

Sol’s family had never really held the Soul Mate traditions to any true importance. His mother and father were Soul Mates, they had found each other only a few months after their own marks had appeared and had a relatively good relationship as husband and wife.

His mother’s Alolan heritage had given her a more laid back attitude to life whereas his father’s Kantonian upbringing in an upper class family had given him a slightly strict personality, but that’s why he’d loved their mother so much. She got him to relax and enjoy the smaller things in life, while he had shown her that sometimes you have to buckle down, take responsibility and take care of things.

As parents, they were great, in his opinion. His older sister, Akara, and he had never wanted for attention and they had never gone without what they needed growing up. Neither parent had favored one child over the other, so they never actually fought for the attention of them.

Akara was thirteen years older than him, but she had always made time for him and had even rushed home when their father had called her on her PokéGear to tell her their mother went into labor. She’d flown nonstop all the way from Lavaridge Town in Hoenn, forfeiting her gym battle with Flannery, just to be there to see him. His mother had a picture of Akara, passed out in a hospital rocking chair, holding his newborn self in a locket and he knew his father had that same picture in his wallet.

It was a huge shock when his parents decided to divorce a few years ago. They’d sat him and Akara, taking a small vacation from defending her two year streak as the Hoenn Champion, down and explained that they didn’t feel right holding each other back from what they wanted and that they’d be better off in a platonic relationship.

Sol hadn’t understood at first, only being nine, but Akara had nodded and accepted it easier than he would’ve liked at the time.

She’d sat down with him that night and explained that a Soul Mate doesn’t just have to be a romantic partner. There’s many different types of relationships that they could have that would benefit them both.

It was also the night that she showed him her own Soul Mark and told him how she’d gotten it.

As Akara pulled the right side of her basketball shorts down past her hip, Sol had stared at the lavender colored name on her skin. It was in the style of simple graffiti, almost, and it took him a solid five minutes to spell out the name “GuZma” with the Z and M being used to make some sort of skull shape – the Z making the eyes, the M making the mouth

The color and style of the mark had confused him. Their parents’ marks were in their neat handwriting in their favorite color, and his sister’s was like calligraphy, almost always in a rich crimson ink that she’d learned to make while visiting Johto with their father when she was small, so why was her Soul Mate’s handwriting so… awful?

Akara had just laughed and explained that she’d got that mark sometime between leaving her gym match with Flannery and waking up from their nap in the hospital chair on the day he was born. She’d gotten a brother and her Soul Mate in less than twenty-four hours, the happiest day of her life up to that point, but she wasn’t going to stop being Champion or derail her life to meet her Mate.

“Fate will bring us together, eventually,” she had said. “When we need each other the most, we’ll find each other.”

She’d later jokingly said that Sol was lighting the way to her Soul Mate before she left back to Ever Grande City, making him gag and tell her he hoped she got cooties from her other half.

Sol hadn’t seen his sister’s Mark completely uncovered since that day and she didn’t constantly talk about any emotions the Mark had sent across the bond like some girls her age, so the name faded from his memory. When he’d first met the Big, Bad Boss of Team Skull, his name had sounded familiar, but Sol waved it off as maybe being a name his mom had mentioned while talking about her day.

Oh, how wrong he was.

 

 

Sol and Hau cringed as they watched Guzma go through some Tai Chi forms with them and Kahuna Hala. Guzma had more than once moved too fast through a form and you could hear an awful crack come from one of his joints or back. His Golisopod seemed to be having an easier time with it than his Trainer, being that the Pokémon himself liked to meditate when Guzma let him out.

The problem wasn’t that the twenty-four year old ex-skull boss was short on physical strength, the guy was just as fit as Kukui after a few months of proper meals and exercise at Hala’s, but Sol had the idea that he didn’t see the point in moving slowly. His abysmal posture probably didn’t help, but he’d denied doing yoga or even going to a chiropractor for it.

To be honest, he didn’t either, but he wasn’t going to jump into learning MMA like Akara, had done with her Blaziken, Auron, when he first evolved into a Combusken. He shuddered a bit as he remembered the pictures their parents had taken, the very first day, they had to rush to the hospital because the Fire/Fighting type had broken her tibia on accident, not realizing the change in its strength.

Akara had trained for months after with Auron to make sure he knew his limits and she knew hers, even if she was proud of him having bone-breaking hitting power on his first day as a Second Stage evolution. He was pretty sure she still had that cast saved somewhere, probably in a glass case with a small plaque, too.

They’d started meeting with Hala for a morning routine shortly after Sol became champion, after Akara told him that the bond she had with her Pokémon was so strong because they trained together, but neither of the boys counted on Guzma taking Hala up on his offer to continue his training about eight months ago. Their routine was punctuated with occasional curses from Guzma, putting a damper on the usually tranquil hour at the beach. Once the cool down was done and the boy’s Pokémon returned to their Pokéballs, Guzma seemed to have a bone to pick with Hala.

“Ya know, I don’t see the point in moving this slow, old man.” Guzma paused as he pulled his sweaty tank top off and tucked it into his black board shorts. “Moving that slow ain’t gonna help ya in a fist fight. It’s gonna get ya beat down!”

“The point isn’t to beat your opponent, Guzma,” Hala sighed as he took out a towel from his Pokémon Refresh kit and started wiping down his Hariyama. “The point is to promote balance between your mind, body, and soul; to help the energy flow smoothly and powerfully through the body.”

Guzma scoffed as he started taking care of his Golisopod, getting sand out of the plates of his exoskeleton. “Life ain’t about balance! ‘Balance’ isn’t going to save an island from a hurricane or stop an earthquake.”

“SOL’S SISTER IS MOVING TO ALOLA!”

Sol slowly turned his head to look at Hau with a scowl on his face, but he couldn’t blame him for blurting out the news. Hau gave a strained sheepish smile and shrugged. He hated conflict and the only way to get Guzma to stop arguing with anyone was to just interrupt with something completely unrelated and hope it caught his interest.

“Why, that’s wonderful news, Sol! When will she get here?”

“Sometime within the next week,” Sol replied to Hala, finding a selfie Akara had sent him from the ship she was taking and showing the group on his RotomDex. “She’s the one that wanted that small ranch built on Ula’Ula. She has a lot of Pokémon and wants to be able to spend time with all of them!”

While Hala took the RotomDex to take a better look at the photo, Guzma slouched over with Golisopod in tow to take a look himself. He got a smirk on his face and let out a loud whistle once he got a good look at it.

Sol’s sister was surrounded by three Pokémon in the photo, a Blaziken holding the camera so everyone could get into the shot. There was a Volcarona making a nest in her wavy, auburn hair and a shiny Sylveon being held like a baby in the arm that wasn’t steadying the Bug Pokémon. Her amber eyes reflected the laugh that was caught on her face as she tried to wrangle the two smaller Pokémon.

Her clothing looked to be a black crop top with a few straps over her chest, a red hoodie that was hanging off both of her shoulders, a pair of low cut jeans with massive holes in the knees, and a pair of plain black converse on her feet. There was a dark purple smear on her hip where the camera had gone out of focus.

Her ears were pierced a few times each and both lobes were gauged with her Megastone in the left plug; you could see the Blaziken wearing its own Blazikenite on a leather armband. She had a black ribbon choker on that the Sylveon was trying to undo and her fingers had a few silver rings on them.

Guzma swore he could see a barbell on her tongue and he knew he could see the faint outline of muscles on her stomach and shoulders.

“Damn, kid! Your sis is a babe!” Guzma growled, purposefully trying to get a rise out of him. Hala elbowed him in the stomach hard enough to knock the breath out of him while Sol scoffed and tilted his head up like one of those upper classmen at the Trainer School.

“Like you have a chance, Numbskull!”

“Oh, yea? And why wouldn’t Big, Bad Guzma have a chance with your sister?” Guzma gave Hala the evil eye as he rubbed his stomach. That was gonna leave one helluva bruise.

“She was the Hoenn Champion for five years before she retired last year, she’s also a one-time Champion in Johto and Kanto, and she’s a successful breeder of shiny Pokémon,” Sol said with his hands on his hips, glaring at Guzma playfully. “She might be coming here to finally settle down, but Akara isn’t looking for a fixer-uppers.”

Guzma choked on his spit as he stared wide eyed and slack-jawed at the Alolan champ. He felt a cold sweat break out on his skin as he started to hyper ventilate. He suddenly slumped to his knees in the sand with a hand clutching at the red scrawl that was present on his right collar bone. Golisopod made clicked worriedly as Hala rushed to his side and tried to figure out what was wrong.

“W-what’s her name? Kid, what was her n-name?” Guzma stuttered out as he tried to follow Hala’s instructions on slowing his breathing down. Golisopod’s smaller arms rubbing his back was helping, but he still dug his nails into the name branded on his chest as he felt a lump form in his throat and his eyes started burning. I can’t believe it. This kid’s fuckin’ sister? A CAMPION!?Of all people…

During his time as Lusamine’s lap dog, Guzma had kept his Mark covered at all times. While Madam Prez had him wrapped around her little finger, he didn’t want her to find his Soul Mate and possibly hurt them. She had mentioned that her scientists had been searching for her missing husband by using street cameras to recognize her signature and that made Guzma’s blood run cold. It wasn’t until he’d accepted Hala’s offer that he left it uncovered and could take comfort in the emotions that came through it.

He’d used to have anxiety attacks whenever he felt a severe pain from the Mark while under Lusamine’s thumb, thinking her goons had somehow found them and were hurting them. After Plumeria would help him to calm down, he’d focus and still be able to feel them shortly after. Plumes was the only other person that knew about his mark at the time and he really should thank her for what she did for him at some point.

“Uh… A-akara… Her name is Akara…” Sol managed to stutter out. He looked worried, genuinely worried, for him and that made Guzma feel worse.

“I’m sorry… I’m so so sorry…” he gasped out. “I-I’d change it if I could! I wouldn’t trap her with a monster!”

“Guzma, what are you talking about?” Hala gently pried his pupil’s hands off of his own skin, wiping some of the blood away from the Soul Mark he’d been clawing at. Guzma almost let out a sob as he saw the realization dawn on his Mentor’s face.

Guzma covered his face with his hands as he slumped forward, forehead kissing the ground, and let out an agonizing scream. Sol and Hau jumped from the noise and moved forward to help the suddenly deteriorating man. Golisopod curled around him, trying to ease his trainer’s distress. He just couldn’t process what he was feeling right now.

Sol touched his shoulder lightly and Guzma slowly sat up, left arm falling to his side to show his collarbone as he kept whispering how sorry he was.

Hala sighed sadly as he saw a tear leak from under Guzma’s hand. The boy had forgotten to take his anxiety medication today when Hala rushed him out of the house. He’d seen it on the counter next to his cup of Tapu Cocoa just before Guzma shut the door.

The boys sat down on either side of the Kahuna, Hau petting Golisopod’s head in an attempt to calm the arthropod down.

Sol’s eyes widened when he recognized his sister’s name in her beautiful calligraphy on Guzma’s pale skin. He looked at Guzma’s distressed form for a moment before carefully stepping around Golisopod and putting his arms around Guzma’s neck in a hug. The man froze with a choked gasp and took his hand away from his face to stare at the child.

“She’s stronger than you think, Guz. If she wants something, nothing will stand in her way,” Sol said in a strong voice. “If she wants to be happy, she will be. If she wants you to be happy, she’ll make it happen.”

“You’ve changed a lot, cousin!” Hau said encouragingly. “You take better care of your Pokémon than yourself – stop that, by the way. They need you in tip top shape – There’s no way she’ll think you’re a monster if she sees how well you take care of your crew!”

Guzma looked between the kids before looking to Hala with the smallest look of hope in his eyes.

“Let yourself have this happiness, Guzma.” Hala clapped his hands on his Pupil’s shoulders with a firm nod and a twinkle in his eye. “She’ll be good for you and maybe you can help her with that Volcarona of hers.”

Guzma couldn’t believe that these people thought it’d be a good idea to actually pursue Akara. She was a three time Regional Champion, holding one of those titles for five years before she retired, and he couldn’t even be a Trial Captain. He had so much emotional baggage, he was pretty sure he could sink Aether Paradise with it, and yet even Sol was looking at him encouragingly.

“Just don’t expect me to treat you any differently!” Guzma turned his gaze to Sol as he roughly wiped the stray tears from his eyes. The kid had a sad attempt at an evil smile on his face (still too much baby fat left in his cheeks). “Siblings can be downright evil!”

Guzma rolled his eyes as his breathing finally slowed down to normal. He could feel his face burning in embarrassment since people saw him break down like that, but he knew it wouldn’t go past anyone here. He sniffed and took a long drink from the water bottle Hau handed him.

After that, they made their way back toward Iki Town. Sol made sure to try and slip in fun facts about Akara the whole way back while Guzma secretly stored the information away for later use, but was surprisingly quiet during the short walk back.

Guzma traced the name on his chest absently as he laid in bed later that night, unable to sleep. His future was literally just beyond the horizon, just a sun set away. He was never good with change, but he had to get through this.

He’d be spending more time on Ula’Ula to get to know her once she arrived, but that meant being closer to Po Town. Plumeria and Gladion had found a way for Aether to sponsor the rebuilding of the town, and now it was a place for the kids and young adults with nowhere else to go, but he hadn’t spoken to Plumes in months.

Guzma growled and rolled onto his side facing the window. He could hear the angry voice of his old man echoing in his head, but did his best to block it out. He needed to try and look decent for when his Soul Mate arrived and staying up till three am wasn’t gonna do him any favors.


	2. Surf

After Sol had been born, Akara had decided that her Pokemon journey needed to be closer to home so she didn’t miss out. She wanted to see all his major milestones in life and, come Hell or High Water, she’d do it. She’d called up the Hoenn League the very next day to make the proper arrangements, renouncing all her gym badges from that region, and made a new start in Kanto.

After Akara had a Kanto League title under her belt, she’d exited on the other side of the building and started a journey into Johto. After she conquered each gym, she’d stop back at home for a month to train her team with their Father. It took her almost three years just to beat the two Regions, but she didn’t mind. Akara was happy to see Sol grow up and be there when he needed her.

She’d taken a long break before going back to Hoenn, too, but she couldn’t take a break with that Region once she started. She wanted to devote all her time to it, so Sol and their parents had to visit her whenever she was in a city for longer than a day. It was rough, but she’d made it a habit to answer a call from her lil bro anytime she got one. If she missed it, she’d call back whenever she was able.

Currently, it was the night before her ship was to make port in Mele-Mele. Sol had dragged Guzma to his house to meet their mother and said woman had the ex-Boss in the kitchen – gushing about how cute her future grandchildren would be if they happened to have kids. Judging by the shade of red on Guzma’s face, Sol was in for some entertainment once Akara got Guzma out of his shell.

The poor man couldn’t get a word in edgewise until their mother was making Tapu Cocoa and he wanted to show her his trick to giving it a richer flavor. Then, he was helping her actually cook. He’d hung his hoodie up by the door and was now in one of his mom’s frilly aprons – at her request – and helping her with some stir-fry.

“Kid, you wouldn’t believe how hard this lil cruise is workin’ your sister!”

“What do you mean? Akara loves battles, Eevee!” Sol replied to the woman he was currently Skyping with on his RotomDex. He’d called Akara in hopes to stealthily let her know he’d found her Soul Mate, but she had been "dragged" into a small tournament being held on the cruise, so her traveling companion had answered while his sister thrashed her competition.

“Yea, but she’s retired, Sunny! She isn’t supposed to be battling for any damn titles!” the woman whined at the champion. “Turn the TV to the Trainer channel. They’re airing the battles live.”

Sol blushed at the nickname his sister’s BFF had given him while switching the channel, seeing a familiar hoodie and Blaziken appear on the screen. He couldn’t remember if Eevee had ever even introduced herself with her birth name, but Akara had apparently dubbed her “Eevee” because she could see that her friend had an abundance of potential for her dream…

Whatever that was… He was sure it was to embarrass him.

First time he’d met Eevee was about six years ago. Akara had brought a woman home with her for a visit. He remembered it was right before she took on the Hoenn Elite Four and she had thrown open their front door with a flourish, declaring that she was staying for two weeks to rest herself and Pokemon before she took on her third League challenge in Hoenn.

Sol said good-bye to Eevee after she promised to tell Akara to call as Guzma and his mom brought dinner to the small coffee table. The woman had been shouting expletives at the opponent for some reason, so Sol knew it was time to let his sister’s cheerleader get back to her first job.

“Oh, is that my little girl?” his mom squealed as she set down the last dish.

“Yup!” Sol filled a plate with the stir-fry and got everyone a drink. “The cruise has a mock-tournament going on and you know her. Gotta show off Auron’s Mega-Evolution.”

“What do you say to heating things up a little, Auron?” Sol saw the shiver his sister’s voice gave Guzma and smirked around a mouth full of food. He was wrecked over her already and he hadn’t even met her in person.

Akara had a slightly husky voice and Sol used to beg her to tell him stories before bed because it was so comforting. It had a tendency to make people feel comfortable and protected. You know, just not when she was in a battle or angry.

A blinding light erupted from Akara’s Megastone and Auron, revealing the black and red stripped form of the Blaziken as it died down. “Overheat!” The Blaziken flashed close to its opponent, a Leafeon, and there was a flash of red flame before Auron jumped back to his trainer’s side. The Leafeon went down for the count and its Trainer returned the Pokemon with a hard scowl.

“She doesn’t pull any punches does she,” Guzma muttered around his cup of cocoa. Akara had proceeded to give Auron a high-five, having to jump to reach her Pokémon’s hand. Her smile was contagious and you could see Eevee jumping in the background, cheering her on.

Sol shook his head as Akara taunted her opponent, sticking her pierced tongue out with a weird smile on her face. “Nope, never been her style, even when she’d battle me with her weaker Pokemon.” All three lost their smiles when they saw her face get serious.

“Hey, man. You can’t bring out a Tyrantrum on this ship!”

“And why not, Champ? Afraid of the Type advantage?” The man looked like he was down to his last resort and pissed to be alive, at this point.

The three-time Champion scoffed and cocked her hip to the side. “It’s too heavy a Pokémon – you’ll make the ship hit the reef, moron!” She moved a hand to Auron’s Love Ball and her other to a Master Ball on the other hip. “You’ll sink the ship!”

“Tch, bullshit!” the man roared, rearing his arm back to throw in his Pokémon. “You’re just afraid to lose, you stuck up bitch!” They heard her mutter a curse as he let the Pokéball fly.

They all saw the Tyrantrum land on the ship, Akara just returning Auron and clipping his ball onto her belt before the whole bow of the ship dipped below the waves like she had predicted. The sound of terrified screams filled the house as the ship hit the reef, metal screaming and people sliding into the water and each other. The small family watched as people and Pokémon went flying into the black waters.

Their mother’s hands flew to her mouth with a gasp as she saw her daughter grab her friend and hook the other arm around a gate that separated the bow from a walkway. The camera got one good shot of Akara’s face before the gate gave under the strain and the girls dropped toward where other terrified passengers were thrashing in the water before it went dead, the shrill noise of the colorful technical difficulties screen popping up.

Guzma could feel the sudden panic and absolute fear flow from her side of the Bond. He covered his face with his hands and tried to send grounding thoughts to her, rocking back and forth as he did so. He didn’t hear his future mother-in-law pick up the ringing phone and talking with Akara’s father, he barely felt Sol rocket up from his seat to grab his stuff.

Sol touched his shoulder and they both ran out of the house to the marina. Guzma had never felt panic like this from the Bond. There had been times where he’d felt minor surges in anger, sadness, and even happiness, but he’d never felt complete and utter panic – not even when Akara and her Rival were battling against Kyogre and Groudon, respectively, when the Magma and Aqua teams were trying to enforce their beliefs on the world with the Primordial Pokémon.

He’d stayed up countless hours sending encouraging emotions to Akara to try and make her feel better whenever he’d felt those intrusive emotions and she’d done the same for him at times. When he’d got to Ultra Space with Lusamine, his Mark had almost completely faded and he’d felt agonizing pain from the Bond the entire time he’d been there. She’d sent back worry and, eventually, anger when he’d been back on Alolan soil, but he’d sent guilt and regret back for days until she finally sent reassurance.

As they jumped onto the Tauros Sol had paged, Guzma suddenly felt determination blood through the bond like a tsunami. She wasn’t giving up! She was gonna fight! But he could still feel the fear, so he sent his own determination to her.

“She’s a’ight, Sol.” The kid looked over his shoulder at Guzma, a hopeful look in his eyes despite how scared Guzma knew he was for his sister. “I can still feel her. She’s fighting to survive. She’ll be alright.”

 

Akara and Eevee kicked for the surface, breaking it with loud gasps for air. They pushed their hair out of their faces and surveyed the panicked mass of people and Pokémon around them. Some people had been smart enough to let out their own water Pokémon, but anything that was floating was being mobbed by the panicked passengers and she knew that would mean some people and Pokémon might drown.

She felt a warmth from her bond, suddenly feeling Guzma’s panic on top of her own and it overwhelmed her to the point where she stopped treading water for a few moments. Eevee pulling her head above water snapped her out of it and she sent determination back. She wasn’t going to die here, not if she had anything to say about it.

Akara started swimming through the chaos with Eevee right behind her, trying to get to the edge of it to release the Pokémon in the Masterball. It was their only chance to try and get everyone around them organized enough to save those who were hurt or possibly trapped in the ship, which was sinking at an alarming rate and the lifeboats hadn’t even had a chance to be deployed.

Finally free, Akara threw the ball in her hand and Kyogre flew into the water. The sight of the Legendary made the panicked masses quite as she and Eevee climbed onto it. Akara kneeled on the Primordial titan and kissed its head as she caught her breathe. Eevee whistled loudly to get the attention of the rest of the mob in the water as Akara stood to address them all.

“Alright! Listen up!” Akara blushed slightly as her voice cracked from the stress of what had just happened. “Anyone with large Water types that are good with passengers, swim towards me and release them! Children, the Elderly, and pregnant women get first dibs on a spot. If you are a weak swimmer, use a smaller Water Type!”

Eevee was already helping children onto Kyogre, who just rumbled as it used its pectoral fins to help its new passengers aboard. Akara watched as a few Wailord and Lapras were released and started getting their own passengers.

The rescue efforts continued in this manner until the Captain and crew were found. They’d dutifully tried to get a few life boats off before the boat went down, but the damage to the hull was just too severe and they ended up in the water with the rest of them. The Captain had managed to get out a distress signal, but they had no idea if it was enough to pinpoint their location.

Several smaller Water Pokémon were released to search the submerged ship for other passengers, one Wailord was designated for the wounded, and more than a few Pokémon who knew healing moves were released onto its back. Akara had Auron and her Volcarona, originally named Corona, out to help warm up the drying passengers and providing light. Other trainers followed her example and soon, they looked like a tiny floating city of their own.

“Does anyone have a Pidgeot or other fast Flying Pokémon?” Akara saw a few people raise their hands as they swam towards her. “I know it’s gonna be cold, but, please, one of you needs to fly to Mele-Mele and let them know we are on the way and that there are a few people who need medical attention.”

“I have a Talonflame, I’ll go!” The kid that had volunteered was barely older than her brother, but she recognized his outfit as what the aerial trainers of Kalos wore. She nodded to him and he was off almost as soon as he was able to get on Kyogre to release his Talonflame. She watched the red streak travel across the now dark sky as it travelled to the small light on the horizon that was Mele-Mele.

Akara herself found the idiot that released his Tyrantrum onto the ship and confiscated all of his Pokémon before he was cuffed by a few of the ship’s officers. She apologized profusely for the damage he’d caused to the ship and reef, offering to help the conservation effort to repair it. She was waved off, told that she was doing enough by giving them hope with her organization and Legendary, but she knew she’d be contacting at least one of the Kahunas to help anyway.

Once they were sure everyone was accounted for, the crew worked on securing a rope that’d been found in the wreckage from one of the large Pokémon to another, and with the Captain’s help for a heading, Akara led their makeshift Navy toward the small island on the horizon.

“Nothing is ever dull with your family, is it?” Eevee tiredly teased after they’d been moving for about an hour. Akara chuckled sardonically and shrugged at her friend as they leaned together for support. “I uh… I lost your PokéGear in all that… bullshit…” Eevee looked down at her hands and fidgeted with them.

“It’s not a big deal, Eve. I’m gonna get a new one once I’m all settled in, anyway,” Akara said as she let out her Sylveon, Sylva Mist (or Syl for short), from his Pokéball. Syl sniffed her in earnest and checked Eevee over, too, before springing over to the children and their parents to spread some love and comfort. “I promise, it is fine!” She held up a hand when her friend opened her mouth to object. “Thing’s been around for almost fifteen years – it’s about time I got a new one.”

The brunette sighed in relief before sagging against Akara’s shoulder. She rested her head against Eevee’s and sighed herself, hand absently tracing Guzma’s name on her hip while she kept her eyes on the horizon. She was so tired, but she wanted to stay awake to make sure they got there safely.

Akara felt a wave of nervous energy from the bond and sent her own reassurance back. Sol had mentioned Guzma’s name when he talked about Team Skull and Ultra Space, had even sent a few Snaps of his training with Hala and Hau to her with the man in them, but she doubted her brother remembered the name from when she explained the different relationships Soul Mates could have. She didn’t bring it up, either. She wasn’t about to use her brother as a way to get to know her other half. I got time to do that myself, she mused as she closed her eyes for a moment.

It seemed like the man had some demons he was fighting in his life and she was gonna be there to help, no matter what. Hopefully, his demons would play well with hers.

As they neared the fourth hour of traveling, Akara could see the docks of the marina getting closer. She hadn’t realized that they had been moving that fast, too lost in her own thoughts. She nudged Eevee awake and stood up from her sitting position. Akara hissed and jumped from foot to foot to try and get the pins and needles feeling out of her legs. She looked to Auron and made a signal like telling an archer to fire his arrow.

Auron stood tall and let out a large Flame Thrower into the sky, signaling their location to the emergency personnel that Akara could see on the docks. Kyogre made a low noise that made the children on its back giggle. They were nervous about the crowd and Akara knelt down to whisper that everything would be fine, rubbing just above its mouth and tossing a poffin into it when Kyogre opened their mouth.

The disembarking and debriefing took over an hour. Akara had to have told the same story at least ten times by the time she was done and she was getting aggravated. She’d been told her mother and brother were there and she was about to have Auron Mega-Evolve and wreck the wharf to get away. Akara was no stranger to being surrounded by people being a Tri-Regional Champion, but she had a limit and it had been passed about halfway to the island.

Her mark was giving a comforting pulse, which was the only thing stopping her from doing it.

Eventually, they left her alone and she barely had a time to take a breath before Sol bowled her over. The chair she was in tipped all the way back and, with an undignified shriek, she was on the ground with Sol in her lap.

“For fuck’s sake, kid,” she groaned while still wrapping her arms around him. “Give a girl a warning before you do that.” Akara hugged him tightly as she righted herself the best she could, eventually settling with just being on her knees with her brother on her lap when she heard him crying. “Oh, oh, oh, oh… Shhhhh, none of that… I’m fine. I’m here.”

Her mother was more controlled in her approach but took Akara’s face into her hands to inspect it. Eevee ambled over from being looked at, standing next to Guzma who had stood a respectful distance away so the family could having their reunion. She looked him over a bit, making Guzma a little nervous, but she made a motion that she’d be watching him before saving Akara from her fussing family.

“Ma, I’ve literally saved the world from being flooded or plagued by drought! I’m fine!” she whined as her mother turned to fuss over Eevee, who was as good as adopted by this point. “I can handle a little shipwreck, damn…” A blush was fading from her face as she stood up with Sol.

“You’re not allowed on anymore boats!”

“Technically, that was a ship-” Sol took his hat off and started smacking his sister with it. “Alright, alright, alright! I get it!” She flailed slightly to grab his hat and shove it on his head. “Still gonna ride my own Charizard around these islands, though.” She had to dodge a few more swats before Sol gave up and put his hat back on.

Guzma couldn’t help the small smile that formed on his lips as Sol fussed over her. She’d lost her own hoodie at some point and he could see goosebumps forming on her skin from the cold. Without thinking about it, he was walking over to her, finally. Guzma took his own hoodie off and put it over her shoulders. Akara whipped around to face him so fast, she lost her footing and he had to grab her upper arms to steady her.

She locked eyes with him and he felt like his breath had been stolen. Her eyes were almost glowing in the dark like the embers of a fire that was too stubborn to go out, and despite her hair being frizzy from the sea water, it was still soft as he pushed some gently from her face. They both shivered as their skin touched for the briefest moment before he took a step back, clearing his throat.

“Y-ya looked a little cold…” He lamely stuttered as he shoved his hands into his pockets, looking away from her as a blush danced across his face. All you did was touch her face! Stop blushin’ like an idiot!

Guzma jumped almost violently as she used his collar to pull his face down to hers to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you… Guzma.” Looking at her face, he was further flustered to see her small smirk. It wasn’t hard since she hadn’t let go of his collar, yet, but it made his blush grow darker.

“Oh, this is gonna be fun.”

Akara finally let him go to put his hoodie on properly, pulling the hood up but not zipping it up, as she turned to her family. She snagged Guzma’s hand and tugged it a little, making him follow. She swatted Sol as she passed, mumbling something about not being rude, as they made their way back to her mother’s home.

Guzma ended up staying their couch that night. Akara had pushed him down on it with a firm “Stay,” complete with a finger pointed at his face before she went about getting herself ready for bed. She came back down in a pair of short-shorts, a similar crop top, and his hoodie with a large blanket and some pillows. She ended up pulling the couch out into a bed, tossing the pillows and blanket on it before pointing at it with a hand on the hip his name wasn’t on as she looked at him sternly.

Without really thinking about it, Guzma had dropped his pants, leaving him in his Wimpod patterned boxers and t-shirt, and crawled under the blanket. She just nodded before going around turning the lights off. He’d assumed she’d gone back upstairs when he didn’t hear movement for a few minutes, but choked down a yell as she crawled into the bed with him. He turned onto his side, facing away from her and tried to calm his heart down.

He tensed up as he felt a small arm wrap around his waist and another go under his pillow, a small body pressing against his back. Akara nuzzled between his shoulder blades, sighing contentedly as she curled her legs against his, effectively making her the Big Spoon.

“Sorry… ‘M cold…” Guzma looked over his shoulder as she settled in more, a small hand moving up so it rested closer to his ribs. “Eve took spare futon… This okay?” Guzma nodded but cleared his throat as he himself settled in.

“J-just don’t get used to it, alright, kid? I don’t cuddle,” he grumbled. He heard her chuckle before curling a lil closer. He was pretty sure he heard her say “too bad” before her breathing evened out. When he was sure she was out, Guzma took the smaller hand on his stomach and kissed it, pressing it to his face before letting it rest where it was and letting himself finally relax for the night.


	3. Struggle Bug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guzma learns that Akara is a little more intense with training her Pokémon than most trainers he's come across.

Akara was leaning over the back of the couch, sipping on a hot mug of Tapu Cocoa and gently carding a hand through Guzma’s hair while he slept, when Sol came out of his room. He blearily looked at the clock as she padded over and hugged him tightly.

“It’s six thirty, sis. What are ya doing up?” Sol watched as she scooped him some eggs and bacon onto a plate and passed it to him. He noticed she’d stolen Guzma’s usual sweatpants, but rolled up the waist so she wouldn’t trip over the legs.

“I gotta talk to Kukui about adopting the Tyrantrum that I took from that jackass yesterday,” Akara sighed as she poured him some cocoa and gave it a generous helping of whipped cream. She always knew how he liked his food. “Guy called the house about twenty minutes ago asking if I’d take the monster and, since I already have a paddock for my Aurorus, I figured why not? I got plenty of room to build another, but Kukui didn’t give me a time or place to meet him.”

Sol grunted as he ate his breakfast. Akara was always appalled at how her brother ate, but he was a teenage boy – they’re supposed to shovel their food into their mouth. That’s not to say she was an absolute pristine eater, herself! Just travelling through Kalos with Eevee to find certain Pokémon, rich people had given the girls dirty looks for only using one fork or spoon at a restaurant, she just preferred to chew her food rather than inhale it.

“If you think I’m bad still, wait till you meet Hau,” Sol said through a mouthful of food just to watch her glare at him over her mug as she carefully sat next to Guzma’s sleeping form on the pullout bed. “He puts malasadas away a dozen at a time.” The look she gave him as she turned the TV on to check the news made him cackle before she quickly hushed him.

Guzma mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over so he was facing her, an arm draping over her crossed legs as he pulled his body around hers. Sol gagged as he saw her face soften and she rested the arm not holding her own cocoa over her Mate’s.

“Oh, my Arceus, you two are already so gross! And you haven’t even had a full conversation, yet!” Sol groaned. He started back to his room to change into his usual workout clothes. “You need to wake him up, anyway. We got Tai Chi.” Akara rolled her eyes, but thought about joining them.

Her and Auron could do their yoga and then do some sets of their own. It’s been a while since they’d just thrown each other around.

Akara gently lifted Guzma’s arm, threading her fingers through his and leaning down to kiss his temple. “Hey, Bug Dealer.” She snorted softly at her own joke. “Time to wake up. You got Tai Chi.” Note to self, Guzma is a cuddler when he’s sleepy.

He groaned as he woke up, barely opening his eyes before burying his face in her shoulder. “Can’t we just stay here and…? I don’t know, do the feelings?” He laughed as Akara let out a louder snort before giggling and dropping her forehead onto his shoulder. “I’d rather talk about feelings than go do that slow movement crap.”

He felt her face move, but pissed the diabolical smirk on her face. Would’ve been much more effective than Sol’s from two days ago.

“Oh, I think I could show you a few things, my little Wimpod.”

 

 

It wasn’t long before Guzma abandoned his own lesson to watch the Tri-Regional Champion and her Blaziken. He barely noticed when the boys and Hala had finished and joined him.

To start off, he’d never seen a fighting Pokémon so flexible! Seeing a trainer and Pokémon both in the King Pidgey pose was a feat in and of itself, but seeing them both in the Eight Crooked Limbs pose almost made him feel a little sick. His Soul Mate had more upper body strength than he had if she could hold this pose for more than a minute. He could barely do a handstand outside of the water!

Second, Akara had left the house in just a pair of black yoga pants and a dark purple sports bra that had several horizontal straps across the back. He’d barely been able to look away from the exposed skin, but he’d been more than able to throw threatening glares at anyone, man or woman, that even looked at her.

Akara and Auron moved to stand in Mountain pose with a few deep breaths before exhaling as they’d finally finished their warm up. “Auron, could you please mark out our Octagon?” The Blaziken gave his trainer an affirmative chirruping noise and started making the shape in the sand while she rooted around in her bag. Sol punched Guzma in the arm when he noticed him watching his sister’s behind. Guzma hissed with a light blush as he rubbed his arm. Akara tossed a Friend Ball into the center of the space, releasing a shiny Roserade. The Pokémon and trainer ignored Hau’s excited shriek as she knelt down next it, fed it a green Poképuff and pet it.

“Hello, Raid. Mommy missed you!” Hala chuckled with the boys at how Akara talked to her Pokémon. “Would you like to be our referee and make the walls for our Octagon?” The Roserade gave a haughty chuckle and proceeded to use his vines to make a cage for Akara and Auron to skirmish in after his trainer had moved her bag outside of it. He sat at the top of the wall and waited for them to take their places, checking his blooms as he waited.

“So, uh… What’s all this for?” Guzma asked as she came to stand next to him, wrapping her hands with tape. He had an idea, and it made him nervous, but he wanted to make sure. Auron walked over and set his Blazikenite on his trainer’s bag, pulling out a roll of tape for himself.

“I’m gonna spar with my Blaziken, babes.” Akara flexed her hands when she was done wrapping them and started on her feet with something that looked like the fabric braces you’d use on your knees or elbows.

Guzma choked on his own spit. “You’re gonna what!?” Her Blaziken handed Akara a pair of the standard gloves to put on. “You’re actually gonna fight your own Pokémon?”

“Uh-huh,” she nodded with a smile, excitement making her eyes sparkle. “Been doing this since he was a Combusken and broke my tibia!”

Guzma looked to Sol, feeling all kinds of alarmed. Her brother shrugged and didn’t look too concerned, mouthing ‘I’ll tell you later.’ He felt a hand on his face as she turned him to look at her. She kissed him on the cheek before giving it a pat and climbing into the ring with Auron.

“She’s been doing this for almost eleven years, Guz. She’ll be fine,” Sol said while patting his shoulder and sitting at a safe distance from the cage, Hau following suit excitedly.

As Akara and Auron did a few more stretches and were setting up ground rules, Hala brought Guzma to the kids to sit. “Relax, son. Your nervousness will distract her, but if Sol isn’t worried, then you shouldn’t be, either.” Guzma barely managed to nod as he tried to curb his anxiety.

 

 

Half an hour later, Guzma was a nervous wreck. 

Akara had gotten several submissions out of her Blaziken and had dodged almost every hit he had thrown. He’d winced at the take-downs, being able to feel each one thud against the sand, but Roserade seemed to be a fair ref and had called out both fighters if they’d played dirty; which they did. 

Auron had thrown a mild Fire Punch at her, singeing the end of her ponytail. In retaliation, his trainer had thrown sand in his eyes when he tried to use a take-down. They’d both gotten a swift smack to the butt with a Vine Whip when they were caught.

Currently, Auron had her pinned in an arm bar and no amount of squirming was getting her out. She finally tapped out and he let her go, massaging where he’d been restraining her to make sure there weren’t any scratches from his claws.

Akara just laid in the sand panting for a minute while Raid dropped the walls and held up Auron’s hand with a vine, declaring him the winner. She didn’t care that the sand was sticking to anywhere there was sweat, she just held up a gloved hand and made grabby hands.

“Well done, young lady!” Hala was the one to pull her up and clap her on the shoulder a few times. “Kukui could learn a thing or two from you.”

“Oh, hell no!” she laughed. “He likes getting hit with Special Attacks! I just like a good, clean fight – ACK!” She jumped when Raid swatted her again. “Okay. Mostly clean. Shit, that hurt!” Akara pouted at her Roserade as she returned him to his ball, muttering “Cheeky bastard…” as she rubbed the sore spot on her butt cheek.

Guzma was quiet while Hau gushed over her and she unwrapped her hands and feet, but he wanted to ask her something once they were alone. Seeing her spar with Auron made him wonder if he could do something similar with Golisopod, but he had no idea where to start.

Which happened sooner rather than later because Sol volunteered him to show his sister to Kukui’s lab. Guzma gave him the stink eye as they split ways near the house, leading Akara towards Kukui's beat up shack. Sol just shrugged with a sarcastic smile as he trotted up the stairs and into the house. Guzma flashed him the finger while Akara pretended not to notice.

It was quiet for a few minutes as they walked along the path. Akara was listening to all the sounds of new Pokémon and the surf hitting the shore. Guzma took the time to study her for a moment, taking in all the details that got lost in the chaos of last night.

He’d completely missed the piercing in her navel, the black titanium not quite sticking out even with the red crystal charm on the bottom. He hadn’t been able to appreciate her thick eyelashes, pouty Cupid’s bow lips, or small nose. He sure as hell hadn’t noticed that her canines were a little longer and sharper than normal, which was something she shared with Sol but not their mother. Must’ve been from their Dad’s side of the family.

Her hair was down now and Guzma was almost shocked at its length. It reached her lower back and had gentle waves in it made it look like a flame flickering when the wind tousled it a little. He’d definitely noticed her strength and physique today while she did her yoga and skirmish with Auron and couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever hit a human with those hands.

From what Sol said, he could see her clocking more than one ignorant asshole while traveling.

"See anything you like, Boss?" Guzma started as he noticed her watching him with a sly look on her face. "Should I do a little turn so you can see the rest?"

"Tch. You're a'ight, I guess," he scoffed, turning his head away so she didn't see his blush. Truth was that Guzma hadn't realized he had a type until then and she was coming up with a perfect score. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked ahead of her a few places. "ACK! What the fuck -"

"You're not too bad yourself, Powder Puff." 

Guzma whipped around red faced after Akara had snapped his ass with her towel. She had the worst shit-eating smirk on her face as she twirled the towel between her hands idlely.

Guzma took the bait hook, line, and sinker.

"And who the fuck are you calling 'Powder Puff,' Fire Crotch?" He growled while stomping back up to her. He didn't realize how much taller he was than her until this point. The top of her head barely reached his collar bones.

"Would you prefer 'Q-Tip'?" She said in a saccarinely sweet voice. "And how do you know if my carpet matches my drapes?" She added with a slight whisper.

Guzma stuttered, face getting redder and redder. He turned toward the ledge behind the house and jumped down it with a huff, hearing her laughter ring out behind him as she followed him.

"Don't worry, Bug Dealer. You'll learn soon."

"Yea, yea. Whatever, Princess."

"Mmm, I like the sound of 'Princess.'" Akara leaned against his side when she joined him on the porch, that toothy smirk still on her face. "Say it again!"

"For fuck's sake. KUKUI! OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" Guzma was sure his face couldn't get any redder, but he was also almost one hundred percent confident Akara would test that as their relationship progressed.


	4. Swagger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akara has a few things to do before she can finally settle down an relax.  
> But worrying if she pushed too hard wasn't on that list when she made it.

Akara paced over the wooden floors of the engawa that wrapped around her home on Ula’Ula, nervously chewing on the cuticle of her thumb while her new RotomDex floated along with her. Titan, the adopted Tyrantrum, or Tai for short, was watching her from her spot in the yard with a few of the other larger Pokémon she owned; sunning herself on the humid day while a shiny Rapidash trotted around with Syl on its back, an Aurorus feeding on nearby trees.

Titan was worried for her new trainer and made a rumbling whine while inching toward the house again. Akara reached out to rub the Tyrannosaurus on the snout as she passed before wrapping the arm around her waist again. The large Pokémon that was a catalyst to the shipwreck was surprisingly gentle and Akara had wondered how such an idiot trainer got such a sweet gem of a Fossil type.

She’d been fully moved in for about three days, having finally come to the house a week ago and gotten the unpacking done in first two, but she already felt the itch to leave. It wasn’t to just explore, start a new journey, or even start the filling the new Pokédex Kukui had given her (even though she was really curious about the Exeggutor).

No. It was to check on Guzma.

He’d helped her move in and even helped put some things away the first day, but after she’d programmed her number in his own RotomDex and he’d left to go back to Mele-Mele, she hadn’t heard from him. He hadn’t given her his number, either, so she couldn’t just text him first. It certainly didn’t help that he’d blocked off the bond so she couldn’t feel anything from him.

The Tri-Regional Champion with seemingly endless confidence had run out of it and it was making her panic disorder flare to life when the rest of her schedule was taken into account.

She had a photo-shoot and interview in Malie Garden with Sol with Champion Legacy Magazine in two days and then she had a meeting with Kahuna Nanu and this Plumeria woman the day after. She wanted to inspect the Shady House to see if they could make it a Battle Mansion, which Plumeria was surprisingly interested in.

When she called Sol to ask if Guzma had made it back, he’d confirmed that he was showing up at their Tai Chi sessions, albeit acting strangely, and that he’d seen Guzma stare at his RotomDex for a solid ten minutes trying to send a text to her, but he’d just grunted and closed the app before stomping off to who knows where.

“He’s probably just overwhelmed right now, sis. Guzma’s been trying to talk to Plumeria again and he hasn’t really done that since he disbanded Team Skull…” Sol’s voice came through the RotomDex sounding a little hesitant as he watched his sister pace around. He hated when she was like this. He had no idea how to help someone that was always a pillar of strength for him when she suddenly needed support herself.

Akara looked at the screen over her shoulder with an eyebrow raised, not stopping her pacing. “They were in Team Skull together?” She sighed when Sol nodded. “Great… Competition… Something I normally wouldn’t mind, but-”

“No, no, no! Oh em A, Akara… She was the only Admin Team Skull had! Just his right hand man – er, woman. Plumes and Guzma are cousins. Actual cousins, blood related.” She shrugged as she pat Titan’s snout again, scratching between her nostrils as she went. “Knowing him like I do now, he’s probably trying to fix things with her before he tries to get to know you so he has his best friend to talk to. I know I’d want you and Hau to talk to if I had an issue with my Soul Mate and needed advice.”

“Kid, the advice I’d give you probably wouldn’t help,” she chuckled derisively. “I pushed mine away by being too forward!” Akara ran her hands through her scarlet locks, tugging them slightly and finally stopping her pacing. “I knew he had trust issues, especially after you told me about the shit that went down with Lusamine, and I still just went in with all the charm and shit like I was just flirting with some conquest at a bar!”

“I’m gonna talk to him, see if he can’t at least send you something to know that he’s okay.”

“Wait, Sol! You don’t have to-” The Skype call had already been disconnected. She sighed heavily and fell right onto Titan’s muzzle dramatically. “My twelve year old brother is fielding shots between my Soul Mate and myself. A plus adulting…”

“You could be using Hau,” Eevee chirped from where she was packing a bag with essentials. She’d decided to do the Island Challenge to kill some time and be out of the house when Akara and Guzma got to the physical part of their relationship. She’d learned from when Akara had a week long hook-up with a chick in Unova. She wasn’t a quiet lover and didn’t like her partners to be quiet, either. Nowhere in that suite had been safe. “Let’s just focus on getting your old Champion outfit refitted for the photo-shoot, babes. You’ve gained some muscle that you didn’t have the last time you wore it and you don’t want it to bunch up in the wrong places.” Akara groaned dramatically before dragging herself off of Titan and trudging into the house after her friend.

 

 

The day of the photo-shoot came and Akara felt ridiculously overdressed when she saw her brother waiting at the Tea Shop in Malie Gardens. Her outfit was almost completely leather and way more edgy, but she’d designed it when she was nineteen and the Hoenn League had a strict dress code (which she insisted was just to look like some kind of Edgelord). At least they were both wearing black, right?

She had on a pair of boot-cut, soft leather pants that had sections of the hips cut out so her Mark was bared for all to see, a long leather trench coat with the deepest hood she’d been allowed to have was specifically designed to attach to the top underneath so it was on display. Said top was soft, red leather corset that stopped just under her bellybutton in a waist coat-like cut to show an enticing amount of skin. The arms of the jacket were tight and the hood had a faux fur lining around the edge. The original designer had somehow made the coat look like it was always caught in a gust of wind while it was being worn, but it was limp when she took it off for storage or sat down (she assumed some type of black magic was involved).

Her face was contoured to perfection, eyes outlined in a dark, shimmering red and black eye shadow to give the smokey effect with some mascara, dark red lipstick painted her lips, and her hair was in a thick messy braid over the opposite shoulder to show off her Megastone gauge. She had her usual rings and ribbon choker on and her Elite Team was clipped to the belt of the pants, three on each side, Auron and Kyogre in front.

The look was completed with a pair of combat boots with five inch heels that, while comfortable, were heavy. All in all, she looked a lot meaner than she wanted to, in her opinion, and a helluva lot more beautiful. She hated all this make-up, it was one of the reasons she retired.

Sol was in a pair of distressed black jeans, white sneakers that turned to black at the soles, and an Alolan Grimer inspired tank top with a black trilby hat. His Z-Ring shone brightly on his wrist like he’d actually shined it and the stones in it. Akara felt a small scowl on her face as she walked toward him with her hood up and hands shoved into pockets in the coat. Eevee snickered at her friend’s misfortune even when Akara shoved her hard enough to almost send her over the bridge’s railing into the water.

“Alola, sis! I forgot how badass your League outfit was!” Sol had always loved the outfit, Akara had, too. But that was before she was stuck in almost eighty percent humidity and had to sit in a chair for two hours for her make-up to be done.

She hugged her brother and rested her head on top of his as she watched the photographers run to and from the nearby set, interviewers going over their questions, and Guzma talking to a girl with pink and yellow hair – WAIT!

“Guzma’s here!?” she felt her heart seize before going into overdrive as she suddenly clutched Sol to her tighter. “What’s he doing here!? I don’t want him to see me this way!”

“That’s just Plumeria, she made him come,” Sol’s muffled voice floated up from where she’d unintentionally buried his face in her chest. “She wasn’t happy that he’d been ignoring you after you’d been so blatantly interested in him – Sis, I need to breathe!”

Akara let go of him so suddenly that he stumbled backwards with a yelp, which gained Guzma and Plumeria’s attention. She swore she could feel the color drain from her face as she made eye contact with them before turning fast enough that her hood fell from her head and walked over to the interviewers to look at their list of questions.

She was NOT running from a problem. NOPE! Not her!

Okay, yes, she was because she was mortified!

She didn’t want Guzma to see this ridiculous get up! She didn’t want to give him unrealistic expectations - She didn’t dress like this normally! People were lucky if she wore jeans, or pants in general, when she had company over!

She could hear Eevee cackling at her behavior as Sol ran up to her and looked over the questions with her. Akara eventually focused and started crossing out questions she would not answer (relationships, diets, sex life) and pointed out the same ones to her brother. She finally got frustrated when she saw the last questions for her brother:

_How do you feel about your sister’s Soul Mate being the Boss of Team Skull? Would you allow your own Soul Mate a chance if they had a similar past?_

“No one needs to know about any of this!” She huffed at the male interviewer, who had been blatantly checking her out. “My brother is twelve! He doesn’t even have his Mark yet and you’re trying to get details on that!” She smacked the interviewer’s chin up so her face was in his line of sight instead of her chest, smirking at the loud click his teeth made as they hit each other. “I’d like your female partner to do the interview instead of you, if you don’t mind.”

The man got red-faced and stuttered for a few moments before shoving his papers to his partner and walking out of the gardens. Akara crossed her arms as she started talking to the female interviewer, who was much more pleasant and professional, and Sol walked back over to Eevee, who had been joined by Guzma and Plumeria.

“How’re you liking your first real interview, kid?”

“I think I need Akara to give me the name of her agent cuz I can’t believe half the questions about her and Guzma they just tried to ask through me.” Sol sighed as he plopped down next to his adopted sibling. “Not to mention that sleaze bag looking at her cleavage the whole time. Auron would’ve decked him if she had him out.”

“I would’ve decked him myself,” Guzma growled, fists tightening to the point of white knuckles.

“Except you haven’t texted her since you helped us move in on Ula’Ula.” Eevee’s expression was deadpan as she slid her gaze over to the ex-boss. “She just paced all over the house when she was awake thinking she fucked everything up.”

Guzma looked away guiltily, hand rubbing his undercut as Plumeria patted his shoulder. “Hey, you’re getting better, G. Just remember that you can talk to her if there’s something wrong, too.” Plumes sent Eevee a glare that was returned before Sol was called back for the interview.

 

“So, last question. I know you’ve been very hush-hush about your Soul Mate, but we all know who it is. You keep the mark on constant display so the name has been common knowledge for years.” Akara nodded as she slung an arm around Sol’s shoulder, kissing the side of his head while he tried to swat her away. She’d been waiting for the day she could mess with him on camera, if she was honest. “I think it’s highly relevant with how you and your old Rival took down Team Aqua and Magma, respectively, so how do you actually feel about him being the former leader of the gang Team Skull?”

“Well, the way I see it, the former president of the Aether Foundation was the real problem. She used her position to manipulate a lot of people, including the Alolan authorities, to try and get to Ultra Space. She used her financial status to keep Guzma under her thumb since she knew he had dozens of kids to feed and clothe while making him use these kids to steal Pokémon for her personal collection.” Akara paused, thinking of the right words before continuing.

“Not saying that I condone everything that was done by Team Skull, but there were only three adults keeping control of these kids – Guzma, Plumeria, and Kahuna Nanu. The most Skull did before Aether’s influence was some graffiti, small amounts of shoplifting when they needed food or necessities, and occasionally not paying for their salon visits,” she said with a chuckle, remembering a picture Sol had sent her of all the Skull Grunts with their pink and blue hair.

“Then the rest of the populace turned their backs on them once they moved into Po Town, which is abandoned because it’s cursed by Tapu Bulu, as I understand it.” The interviewer nodded and she continued. “So, Guzma and the rest deserve a second chance, I believe. He was only doing what he had to in order to make sure his little pseudo family had a place to stay when they had nowhere else to go. Doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, so to speak, and that’s really all I have to say on the matter.”

“Alright, well, that wraps up our questions so we’re done for this part!” The interviewer stood up to shake Akara and Sol’s hands. “I really do appreciate you answering the questions about Team Skull. I was actually one of the older members and if it wasn’t for your brother and his friends insisting that we deserve a second chance, I probably wouldn’t have gotten this job.”

Akara looked at Sol proudly. “Well, I’ll be leaving your name with my agent and Sol’s for any future interviews for Legacy. Do you have a card or anything?” She fumbled around her pockets before handing one to the older Champion, watching as she took a picture and sent it to her agent back in Hoenn with a small block of text. “Thank you. You’re one of the most respectful interviewers I’ve had so I look forward to seeing your articles in the future.” The girl, now revealed to be named Artemis by her card, barely kept in a squeal before bouncing off to tell her coworkers about gaining a new ‘client.’

“You probably just made her day.” Akara turned to see Plumeria leading Guzma and Eevee over, an obvious confidence in her step that Akara had been lacking until now. “Not many people have said they prefer an ex-Skull for anything.”

“She gave me respect, so I gave it back.” Akara shrugged, crossing her arms. “She honestly is one of the best interviewers I had. Certainly helped that she wasn’t drooling over me like a platter at the Battle Buffet.” She cut her ember eyes to the male interviewer that was still sulking by the entrance to the gardens. “I don’t dress this way to look good for anyone but myself.”

Plumeria nodded before holding her hand out, which Akara shook with a firm grip. “Pipsqueak has probably already told you, but I’m Plumeria. I run Po Town with Kahuna Nanu and we have a meeting tomorrow about the Mansion.”

Akara nodded as she waved them all to follow her and Sol towards where the photo-shoot was, releasing Syl, Auron, and Aurorus. “It’s big enough that it’d be a decent Battle Mansion, which would bring more income to the town so you’d have to rely less on donations from President Gladion.” The Aurorus dipped its head down to nuzzle its trainer, who gave a full body shiver at the Ice Pokémon’s touch before petting its neck. “You could also employ some of the older residents so they got some experience for a resume.”

Guzma didn’t realize he was staring at Akara until he almost ran into her when she stopped. He flailed hard before tipping back and he fully expected to go straight into the water, but someone grabbed his collar and stopped his decent. His silver eyes trailed up the leather clad arm before they locked on Akara’s molten gold ones as she held him above the water.

She’d grabbed onto her Aurorus’ neck to avoid going into the water herself and she tugged him back to a standing position with a small grunt before letting go of her Pokémon, who somehow seemed to giggle at the whole fiasco. He felt his face get hot as she pulled his collar down to make sure she hadn’t scratched him with her nails and walked behind him to make sure nothing had gotten wet. He tried to shoo her away with a quiet “cut it out” when she grabbed his square jaw with one of her small, but strong, hands.

“I think I’m allowed to look you over since you made me worry for so long.” Her tone slightly cutting, but he knew she wasn’t actually trying to guilt trip him. Her eyes were soft as she turned his head from side to side, noting his five o’clock shadow with a tsk. “You need to shave, Guz…” With her heels on, her eyes were level with his mouth and she looked at them for a moment before he nodded and she let him go.

Plumeria and Eevee had smirks on their faces as Akara passed them to Sol, who was already sitting on a replica of the throne they had on Mount Lanakila, and was trying to pose for the first photo. Sol needed almost constant coaching through the whole thing, so her attention was off of Guzma for the moment.

“Think you made a new shade of red, there, G,” Plumes snickered at him as he readjusted his shirt and jacket. Eevee tried to hide her own giggles without success.

“Shut up, the both a ya...” Guzma kept his hands in his pockets and his hood up as he watched Akara pose with Auron while helping Sol through a few poses with his Dartrix.

Her poses seemed to show off her own strength and her Pokémon’s while simultaneously being somewhat seductive. The way she’s look at the camera was all smirks and teeth, Sol just looked happy. He’d yet to find a “look” to call his own, but when they had to do a shot of Akara in the throne, you could see that he had inherited some of the same sass that she had.

Akara had draped herself across the whole throne, legs kicked over one arm while she leaned on the opposite one, and Sol wasn’t even posing. He just put both hands on his hips as he tried to talk some shit to his sister. The two Starter Pokémon just rolled their eyes at their trainers’ antics, completely used to it by now.

The last photo was of Akara and her full team, minus Kyogre, so they had her stand on the main bridge that the Veteran trainer usually had his little challenge. Directly behind her was Auron, standing tall and proud with crossed arms; Syl sat at her feet with a very well groomed Ninetails, both looking up adoringly at their trainer; a Charizard with its own Megastone around its neck was treading air just behind Auron; and the Aurorus stood behind them all, sail shifting colors beautifully in the wind.

Akara finished the look off by holding Kyogre’s Masterball against her cheek while cradling the Blue Orb in her other arm. The look on her face was loving as they snapped a few pictures before letting her know they were all done.

It was then that Guzma was struck by how absolutely out of his league he really was.

Akara had caught a Legendary Pokémon, which had chosen to stay with her rather than be released, and held the item for its Primal Reversion. She had every Megastone known to man and had the Pokémon for them at some point before releasing them since she just needed the data for her Pokédex at the time, and she was stuck with him.

He started hearing his father’s voice echo in his ear before a hand tapped his face. Guzma started a little violently as Plumeria came into view, a disapproving frown on her face.

“Don’t do that, Boss. She doesn’t care about any of that, said so herself in that interview.” She put her hands on his shoulders and shook him slightly. “An international magazine, Guzma!”

“Doesn’t mean that everything would be fine!” he said with a deep growl as he saw her laugh at some of the shots Sol had taken with his team. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with her life! The only think I’ve done right is train my own Pokémon and I couldn’t even beat her brother! HE’S TWELVE!”

Eevee scoffed as she smacked him on the back of the head. “The only thing wrong with you that I can see is that you’re blind.” Guzma rounded on the smaller woman who just slapped a hand over his mouth. “If you think she didn’t struggle for everything she’s got, then you’re stupid, too. She almost died trying to calm down Kyogre, it took her six times going against the Elite Four before she claimed her seat as Hoenn Champion and that’s AFTER she restarted that region from scratch so she could train her Pokémon closer to home when Sol was born.” She took her hand off and started walking toward where Akara with a small duffle bag in hand.

“The pedestal you put her on is higher than the one she has for herself. Her confidence comes from years of learning from her mistakes, not back-to-back flawless wins!” Eevee scoffed louder than she just had. “Girl just has an excellent Poker Face, is all.”

Guzma deflated slightly as Eevee walked away from him and Plumeria. He had to admit, only to himself, that she had a point. No one gets as high as Akara had with no obstacles and he just had to get over his own self to learn what those obstacles were. Maybe they had something in common.

“So, I’m just gonna drop you off at her house after this so you can talk to your new Boo, okay?” Guzma shot an annoyed look at Plumeria, who just shrugged with a smile. “What? You gotta start somewhere and what she was thinking with that outfit seems like a good start.”

He sighed before falling into his signature crouch. “All you women are so damn pushy. Butting into my love life n' shit...”

“Won't be a love life if we just let you handle the pace. Stop being such a baby, Guzma.” Plumeria added insult to injury by pushing on his back with her foot, sending him into the Gyarados shaped pond of Malie Gardens. He came up spluttering with mud covering spots of his clothes. “Look, now you got a reason to be naked in her house – your clothes are dirty and wet.”

“You’re an asshole, Plumes.”


	5. Thunder Wave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guzma gets learns that Akara is a lot more patient than she would have people believe.

Akara’s POV

Eevee had brought me some spare clothes to the photo-shoot for me to change into. I felt so much better in the red bustier with an off the shoulder, black, baggy t-shirt crop-top. She’d also brought me a comfortable pair of jeans and sneakers, but I kept my old boots on. I wanted to be tall today. She’d made sure to bring a different belt that I could put my team on, too.

“You are a life saver, Eevee,” I sighed happily as I stepped out from the trailer Artemis said I could change in. “I feel so much better in normal clothes! What am I gonna do with you when you finally find your Soul Mate and leave me?”

“Probably relearn how to function on a daily basis.” Her cheeky smile was contagious as we both bid Sol goodbye as he flew off on a Page Charizard. “I mean, I’ve basically been your maid since I joined up with you since I haven’t had any Pokémon of my own.”

“Which I’ve told you that you don’t have to do.” I said as I slung the duffle that now held my League outfit in it over my shoulder. “Being my friend is enough, babes.” I sighed and closed my eyes as I felt the warm Alolan sun on my skin, the humidity not bugging me as much as when I was wearing all that leather. I started at the sound of Eevee’s laugh, her hand grabbing my arm as she bent over and pointing across the bridge.

I had to fight a giggle of my own as I took in the sight of Guzma crawling out of the pond, sending daggers at Plumeria with his eyes. The poor man was soaking wet and I could see the mud clinging to his clothes, which looked like they weighed about fifty pounds more waterlogged.

“Oh, no! What happened?” I asked while trotting across the last bridge to them, leaving Eevee behind me to gasp for breathe through her laughter. “Oh, Fluffy! You’re sopping wet!”

“I, uh… I tripped and fell into the fuckin’ pond,” Guzma answered, still glaring at Plumeria. She shrugged when I looked over to her with a questioning glace, face neutral. He turned to me, his face turning red while he rubbed his wet undercut. “You, um… You wouldn’t mind if I came over to clean my clothes n’ shit, would you?”

“No, not at all! Eevee, do you mind?” I looked behind me at Eevee, an eyebrow raised. “It’s your house, too, until you start the challenge.” She shrugged at me as she grabbed my League outfit from me.

“I’ll be heading over to Mom’s for the next few days, anyway. I want to talk to Kahuna Hala and Kukui about picking my Pokémon. I’ll drop this off with your mom so you can’t destroy it,” she said with a smirk as she started off for the docks. She didn’t have a Ride Pager, yet.

I huffed and shot her an unimpressed look as she walked off with Plumeria in tow. She knew I wanted to burn that damn outfit. Only pieces I’d keep were the corset, belt and boots. Maybe the coat.

I saw Guzma shiver out of the corner of my eye and ushered him out of the gardens, turning the opposite way that Eevee and Plumeria had gone. It was quiet as we walked side by side to my home. The dirt road up to it was just past Ula’Ula Meadow and the fog from it almost seemed to leak up the road as we made our way up it to the house.

Guzma took his socks and shoes off at the entrance without being told, mumbling about not wanting to get the floors wet. I just nodded as I took off my own and put them away. I led him to the bathroom and laughed a little at his face.

It was the only room that wasn’t done in a traditional Kantonian style, per Eevee’s suggestion. There was a glass wall shower in one far corner and a Jacuzzi style tub that could fit at least three people in it comfortably was next to it. His and hers sinks were to the left of the door and just a normal porcelain toilet was between the tub and the sinks.

“Yea, it doesn’t fit the rest of the house’s aesthetic, but I’m not really fan of washing myself on a stool then jumping into the tub,” I said while pulling out some fluffy black towels from under the sink. “I prefer a shower to get clean and I’ll just use the tub if I wanna soak after.”

“This is nicer than the bathroom at Shady House, damn!” He let out a whistle as he peeled off his hoodie and watch, just looking around the room.

“You also had to share it with how many teenagers?” I started with a small giggle, but it ended with a choked gasp as he took his shirt off and I saw the scars that crisscrossed over his back. My hands flew to my mouth as my eyes raked over his back. I reached a hand out and barely brushed my fingertips over it, making him tense up. I honestly thought he might break with how tense he was.

“Who did this- who did this to you…?” My voice was a monotone whisper as I laid a hand flat against what looked like a cigar burn just under his shoulder. I was overwhelmed with sadness that someone would hurt anyone this way. Guzma didn’t answer me, twisting his damp shirt in his hands and taking a few deep breathes.

“You don’t have to tell me right now, but…” My voice cracked and I growled deep in my throat before wrapping my arms around his lean torso, pressing my ear as close to where his heart would be as my height would allow; it was hammering. I couldn’t even appreciate his body right now, I was getting to angry. “Fucking Hell! I want to hurt them for you!” My hold on him tightened as I felt one of his hands rest on my arm and I had to blink away tears from my eyes.

After a few minutes, I broke away from him and wiped my eyes while he turned to look at me, looking unsure. I grabbed the hand that had been holding my arms and kissed the back of it, pressing it to my cheek and taking a few steadying breathes before looking him in the eye.

“Whoever they are… They will never, ever touch you again.” My eyes searched his face as he looked down at me. I reached up to cup his cheek, freezing when he flinched away. I waited until he used his free hand to press my hovering one to his face, both of us releasing a breath I’m sure he didn’t realize he was holding. I took a shaky breathe as he kissed my palm and just pressed his mouth to it. “I don’t care who they are. I will protect you from them, even if you don’t want it… Am I clear?”

“Crystal, Princess…” I nodded and cleared my throat, showing him where all the shampoo and body wash was, how to use the shower, etc. Guzma chuckled a little as I took out a spare toothbrush. “Never thought Big, Bad Guzma would be getting protection detail from a short stack like yourself.”

“I’m just a big can of Whup Ass in a small package,” I said with a smirk, flexing a little to try and break the tension. Guzma’s eyes strayed over my body and I didn’t mind. “Now, get outta your wet clothes and in a towel. I’ll grab ‘em and toss them in the washer.”

 

While he was in the shower and his clothes in the washer, I busied myself by scrubbing his shoes clean. I’d left him one of the huge shirts I usually slept in and a pair of sweats that had skulls and crossbones on them on the sink.

I will say, I’m proud of myself. I didn’t peak!

Not to say that I didn’t want to. I was just too occupied with the thoughts of the scars on Guzma’s back. They were too old to be from Ultra Space, too faded. They had to be from when he was younger, which means it was either his parents or from an accident.

From how he flinched, someone had physically beat him and I was livid.

I’d encountered a lot of people in my travels, including Team Rocket in Kanto and Johto. They’d experimented on Pokémon and humans alike, and the test subjects would be riddled with scars. They didn’t care if they actually had to hurt someone to get what they wanted and those two Regions are where I was the most scared to be alone, to be honest. It’s why I went home for a month after each Gym victory – if Team Rocket grabbed me, I wanted to be able to say I saw my family one last time.

I remembered the Red Gyarados and shuddered.

At least Archie and Maxie hadn’t been that way. They just wanted to flood the world or start and endless drought because they thought that was how to save the planet, not actively hurt people or Pokémon on purpose. Archie had mentioned that he had wanted to be “Ocean Pals” with Kyogre, so I’d let him dive with us a few times. He’d taught me so much about the oceans and the Pokémon in them. Same with Maxie and his knowledge of the land and Fire types.

Never say those men didn’t have enthusiasm for the planet, they just only researched one aspect of it and ignored another. I’d learned more from them than in any of the classes Father had enrolled me into while I was home training, and watching them feed off of the other was amazing! Serious type of tension there, but that’s their business.

Last I knew, they were actually working together to help multiple, legitimate, conservation groups to help with rare Pokémon. Pretty sure Archie said he’d be dragging Maxie along to Alola for a visit and I dreaded when I had to tell him about what happened to the ship I was on.

I looked behind me to where I had set up the two futons next to the engawa where I sat, looking out to the field behind my home. I could see into my garden where Raid had rounded up a few Pokémon to pull weeds, Rapidash high-tailing it around the yard with Auron in his Mega evolution to keep up, Titan and Aurorus walking towards the large paddock they’d share until Titan’s was done.

Besides the storm clouds I could see building, it could turn out to be a good evening.

After another twenty minutes of Guzma in the bathroom (I’d heard him start the bath so I’m guessing he was taking a soak in a tub that could actually fit his tall ass self), I started rounding everyone up into their respective stables. Rapidash was the biggest problem. The stallion was still full of piss and vinegar and didn’t want to get locked up for the night.

I caught Guzma watching me from the engawa before I took a flying leap off the fence and onto the Fire type’s back as he tried to speed past me. I had to attach the reins to his bridle before I could right myself and lead him into his stable, which was still a hassle. He bucked and reared with me on his back, throwing a little hissy fit, almost tossing me off a few times, until I told him I’d make his favorite Poképuffs with the Rainbow Beans Sol had given me. Then he trotted into his stall like he hadn’t just acted like I didn’t raise him from an egg.

“You’re lucky you’re so damn pretty, Dash.” I filled everyone’s troughs with water and grabbed their foods of choice. “Your punk ass givin’ Momma so much Arceus damned trouble over getting in your fuckin’ stable.” I took his bridle off and scratched behind his ears, hands straying into the blue flames of his mane.

“I’ve never seen a Shiny Pokémon in all the time I spent hunting for mine…” I turned to face Guzma as he walked into the large barn I had my larger Pokémon in. “And you have three of ‘em.” I shrugged as I turned to walk out of the barn, flicking on the nighttime lights on the floor as I waited for Guzma to follow me out. “How do you do it? Your brat of a brother said you breed, but this doesn’t look like the ranch on Akala…”

“I finished both my Kanto and Johto Pokédex, so I was given Shiny Charms in each region,” I said, shooing Syl and Ninetails towards the house. “Something about the stones they use to make them attracts Shiny Pokémon and somehow increases your chances of a Shiny hatching from an egg.” Toeing the geta off my feet as I stepped onto the engawa, I turned to look at Guzma again. “I don’t just hunt or breed obsessively for them.”

“So, you’re tellin’ me that you just found them all as Shinies? You didn’t breed them?” He stepped up next to me after taking off the slippers I’d laid out for him, taking the geta from my hand and walking them to the cubbies by the front door. When he met me in the kitchen, he leaned on the doorway with his arms crossed as I cut up the pizza I’d ordered while he was in the bathroom. “I find that hard to believe, Princess.”

“No, I did breed for Dash and Sylva Mist, but Raid was a random encounter.”

“I knew it!”

“BUT! I didn’t have to breed hundreds of eggs from one pair of Pokémon. I bought stud Pokémon from a different region that were known to give Shiny offspring,” I said with my hands on my hips. “My Father’s position in society put me in contact with reputable breeders, but I don’t like dealing with them on a regular basis.”

“Why not? Not into rich boys?” Guzma asked with a snicker as he grabbed the whole pizza box with paper plates inside and took it to where he’d seen the futons set out, sitting looking for the TV remote.

“That and that’s all they’re about.” I said, Syl dropping the remote in my hand as I turned the TV on to, ironically, a documentary about Wimpods.

“Aah ‘bout wha’?” I gave Guzma a very unimpressed look as he talked around the food in his mouth. I grabbed a few slices of pizza and handed Guzma a bottle of soda.

“‘Breeding.’ Sex, it’s all they ever talked about and all they were interested in.” I shuddered as I remembered the last time I’d met with one of them in person. “They look like Garbordor, but strut around like they’re a Zebstrika stallion! Not to mention they got far too friendly for my liking.”

Guzma stopped chewing, swallowing a mouthful so big it looked like his throat actually bulged out as it went down. “They ever touch ya?” The look he gave me was a bit intense, eyes looking like silver mirrors reflecting the anger I felt earlier about his scars.

“They tried,” I scoffed out.

“Tch, ‘tried?’ Whaddaya mean, ‘tried?’” He was starting to sound angry and I rolled my eyes.

“I mean,” I heaved with a sigh. “Whenever someone would try, I’d break their nose or face. If Father or Auron didn’t do it for me first.” Turning my gaze to him, I raised an eyebrow at him with another unimpressed look. “No one touches my body unless I want them to and that could be something as simple as their hand moving a little too low during one of those stuffy dances or touching my shoulder when I don’t want to be touched.” Guzma nodded and turned his attention to the documentary as it started talking about Wimpods and their nests.

I did the same as we munched on the pizza and drank our soda. For me, it was a comfortable silence, but I guess it wasn’t for him because he put his plate aside and turned his whole body to look at me.

“So, I’m guessin’ you don’t mind if I touch ya, then?” I turned slightly to look at Guzma, scowling for a moment when I saw his collar bones and had to look up at his face. Man’s a giant, God damn. “I mean… You’ve been touchy since the literal minute we met-“

“You touched me first, as I recall,” I said with a small smile. “Gave me your hoodie, which I was loathe to give back, actually. Smelled amazing!”

“Yea, yea. You’re weird B.O. fetish aside, Princess,” he paused as I stuck out my tongue at him, finally showing him that it had a small glow-in-the-dark skull on the ball. “You’ve touched me almost every chance ya get, but ya paused when I flinched like a bitch in the bathroom…”

“Do NOT talk about your triggers that way.” I gave Guzma a hard stare. “They are valid and so is the response you give to them and I’m never going to judge you for that.” I took a moment to take a few steadying breathes before finishing my thoughts. “If you’re uncomfortable with me touching you as much as I do, tell me. Consent is something Mother and Father made sure we understood with crystal clarity before we were even old enough to choose our Pokémon. If I need to move slower for you to feel comfortable, that’s fine, Guzma.”

“But… What about how you feel? Doesn’t that matter?”

“It matters just as much as your feelings, but I wasn’t abused to the point where I flinch like a wild Pokémon when people go to touch me, Guz!” I flinched as I heard my own voice raise and took a few more breathes, hands over my face. Ninetails sat between my legs and nuzzled into my chest until I gave him a hug and buried my face in his fluffy neck.

“You could tell when it was happening, couldn’t you?” I wasn’t sure Guzma had actually spoken until I looked up from Ninetails’ shoulder. He had a hand over my name on his collar. “You could feel it… Through the bond…”

I nodded, opposite arm snaking between my waist and my Pokémon to touch his name on my hip.

“I always tried to send as much positive as I could back to you when it came through. I couldn’t stand it – not knowing where you were, what was happening to you… Knowing I couldn’t protect you…” I trailed off, watching him rub his Mark. When I finally tried to make eye contact with him, he seemed lost in thought. Sighing, I turned my attention back to the documentary and Ninetails laid down next to me with his head in my lap. I got so lost in my own thoughts that I didn’t notice Guzma taking off the shirt I’d given him or moving so he was sitting behind me until his long legs stretched out next to mine.

Ninetails huffed and moved to the warm spot Guzma left behind. Spoiled little Prima Donna.

“I like it when you touch me, but I don’t want to keep flinching every time.” I tensed up for a moment when I felt his lips near my ear, but I relaxed when he pulled me so my back was flush against his chest and his arms were wrapped securely around me. “I want to be better for you, Akara… And that’s sayin’ a lot cuz I don’t even want to be better for myself, so maybe gradual exposure would work?”

I turned around so I could wrap my own arms around him, pulling his head down so I could at least press my forehead to his cheek. He sounded so sure that he wanted to be comfortable with my PDA, but so unsure that it would work at the same time.

“I’m here,” I whispered in his ear. “I’ll always be here.” Guzma’s arms tightened around me and he kissed my forehead before he laid his cheek against the top of my head. We stayed that way, just letting him get used to it, for a few minutes before I suggested we find a comfier position because I actually wanted to watch this documentary.

Guzma ended up in a fetal position with his head tucked under my chin, an arm under my pillow and the other around my waist, thumb rubbing over his own graffiti like tag. I had an arm around his broad shoulders, hand tangled in his mess of white hair as I combed through it, and my legs tossed over his.

Basically, it looked like we’d just fallen sideways while I was sitting in his lap, but it was comfortable and soon I could tell he’d fallen asleep. I was suddenly glad that I’d turned the lights off and changed into the same sleep shorts I’d worn that first night, because there was no way I was going to move Guzma and have a clear conscious after words. He looked too damn cute all snuggled into me like this.

“Arceus, I wish I had a camera right now…”

The documentary, affectionately named “Diary of a Wimpod,” ended just as the first soft rumbles of thunder rolled through the air. Ninetails and Syl pulled up the comforters around Guzma and me before getting comfortable around our bodies. As I turned off the TV and made sure the soda bottles were closed all the way, I huffed in amusement.

“Tauros-shit, you’re not a cuddler,” I mumbled into his hair as I kissed the crown of his head, finally settling myself down to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Switching to first person POV because it helps me focus on the actual plot.  
> Third person helps me go on tangents lol


	6. Facade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mystery six years in the making is solved and lots of cute Fluffy Guzma!
> 
> Gotta make up for what I'm about to unleash *evil laughter*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one is short compared to the others, but I'll make up for it I the next chapter!

The next day, Guzma woke up to an empty futon. He blearily looked around after scrubbing his hands over his face and noticing a pair of familiar Chucks in the shoe cubby and heard the even more familiar tone floating in from a little ways down the engawa where he couldn’t see.

After doing his business in the bathroom and getting a cup of Tapu Cocoa that I’d left in the oven to stay warm for him, he followed the sound of my excited cooing to see Plumeria and me sitting on the engawa. I was currently grooming Plume’s prized Salazzle and, I will admit this freely, I was absolutely smitten with the Fire Lizard Pokémon. Guzma went to grab his shirt before he leaned against one of the posts watching us as he woke up with his cocoa.

“Who’s the most beautiful Salazzle in all of Alola?” I said as I massaged a special oil onto the Pokémon’s back. “You are, you gorgeous girl!” Salazzle let out a pleased trilling noise as Plumeria fed her one of the Rainbow Bean Poképuffs I’d made earlier that morning. I lifted her chin once she’d swallowed her treat and started gently massaging the oil onto her face. “Plumeria, I must say, you have taken very, very good care of this lovely lady! Besides a few claws that need sharpening, she is a picture of perfect health!” Plumeria looked smug at my praise as I continued to pamper her Pokémon, even if she was still watching me carefully.

“She likes to be out of her Pokéball, so I let her run around more often than not. We were just in the Vast Poni Canyon and this knucklehead was running up the walls – literally,” she said with a fond smile. She watched as I coaxed Salazzle to roll onto her back so I could get the oil into the soft scales of her underbelly. “What’s in that oil anyway?”

“It’s a special blend I made ages ago for all my fire Pokémon.” I paid special attention to the pink scales, feeling the extra heat from them. “It’s a mix a few different vitamin oils and essential oils from berries and herbs. It’s just to keep their skin, scales, or fur healthy, but I’ve seen Dash’s fire burn a little brighter since I started combing it into his coat, too.”

“Happen to have any for other Types?”

I nodded as I started massaging Salazzle’s hands and feet, paying attention to the cracked claws. “Even though Fire Types are my specialty, I’ve made it for every Type. Then there’s Corona who had a dual typing of Fire and Bug so I had to make him his own special blend.” I finally noticed Guzma creeping on us from the shadows as I finished oiling up Salazzle. “The Dual Typing makes it more difficult to make an oil blend, but once I retired as the Hoenn Champion a year and a half ago, I had plenty of time to research with the Berry Master and the girls from the Pretty Petal Flower Shop.”

I smiled as he slouched over to sit next to Plumeria, giving her a one arm hug while I started buffing Salazzle’s scales, which resulted in an obnoxious purring noise that made me coo adoringly at her all over again.

“Never pegged you to be a softy with Pokémon; especially with how you tangled with your Blaziken last week, Princess.” Guzma had a smirk on his face that lost its intended effect when I noticed his extra fluffy bedhead and the whipped cream moustache.

I was about to reply when Syl came tearing around the corner of the engawa with a bright red Poképuff in his mouth, Ninetails right on his heels. They both jumped clear over us when I let out a stern “OI” before taking off screeching across the yard.

I motioned to my Sylveon as he streaked across the yard, playing Keep-Away with Ninetails’ favorite treat. “I’m not all Cage Matches and Beat-Downs, Pookie,” I said, sticking my tongue out at him with a wink. “Looked like you had a good time without me this morning, though.”

Plumeria had been trying to hide her giggles at the whipped cream moustache this whole time, but she lost it at Guzma’s face when I called The Hated Boss “Pookie.” She fell on her side, hands covering her face as she gasped fir air between peals of laughter. Salazzle soon joined her trainer once she caught sight of him.

Guzma’s face turned red when he went to wipe his face and felt the whipped cream. He stood up, stomping back inside, and I worried that I’d over stepped some untold boundary again until he came out with his face wiped clean and the entire salad bowl of homemade chocolate whipped cream I had in the fridge.

“Since you keep teasing me,” he said, a smirk that put a Gengar to shame spreading across his face as he stuck his whole hand into the full bowl. “How ‘bout a facial, Champ?”

I shrieked out a laugh as he lunged at me, jumping off the porch with him right on my heels, and tore off across the yard. I ducked under Aurorus and had a ridiculous game of chicken as I tried to dodge him around the Sauropod’s legs. Guzma was hesitant to get underfoot of the large Pokémon at first, but he still followed me under when he noticed that she was ignoring us. He lunged at me around one of her legs with a growl and I took off around her opposite side.

I ran around the Ice type only to have Guzma jump out in front of me with a fake roar. In my comedic, backpedaling attempt to stop, I slipped on the wet grass with a loud yelp and slid between his long legs. I scrambled up and started running again, probably with a stupid looking smile on my face.

“Bouffalant-shit!” I turned to run backwards for a second to see Guzma looking at me from between his legs before straightening up and sprinting towards me again. I cackled as I turned around and headed toward one of the only trees in the middle of the field.

Swinging myself onto a low branch, I barely even had a grip on a higher one until I was yanked down by the back of my tank top with what could only be described as a squawk and we landed in a tangle of limbs and giggles on the grass. He maneuvered us so he was straddling my hips and I started wriggling like a Caterpie to try and throw him off.

“Gotcha, Princess.” I shivered at the predatory tone before flailing hard enough for him to try and hold my hips down, whipped cream smearing on my shorts.

Planting my feet, I bucked harder and his hands flew out to plant near my shoulders to brace himself. I got my right leg free and brought it across the front of his body to land on the opposite shoulder, using it to push him off of me and to the ground. I used both my legs to pin his arms to his sides and slammed my hands next to his face, panting. I felt a large smirk cross my face at his own surprised expression and felt a little pride at taking down someone almost half a meter taller than me.

“Try again, **Pookie** ,” I huffed into his ear with a smirk. I saw that he actually brought the bowl with him and smeared some over his face. I laughed when I saw his bangs standing almost straight up with the whipped cream in it, looking like chocolate vanilla swirl ice cream.

This started us grappling around the yard, whipped cream getting all over both of us. I could still hear Plumeria losing her shit on the engawa and between our confectionary assaults on each other, Guzma and I were laughing, too. Half the insults we threw at each other were ridiculous and my face was starting to hurt from laughing at them!

Eventually, I screamed “uncle” and Guzma tossed me over his shoulder to strut back to the house. Plumeria was just coming down from her laughing fit, face red and make-up streaked across her face from tears. She was still lying on the floor when Guzma dropped me next to her and started to walk past us to the bathroom.

I grabbed his ankle and he fell to the tatami mats with an undignified yelp and thud while I streaked into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I could hear Plumeria break out into another fit of giggles in my wake as Guzma peeled himself off the floor. I heard him stomp up to the door and slam his hand on it.

“I’m gonna beat that pretty little ass when you come out here, Princess.” I shivered again at the growling tone as I started the shower and stripped out of the muddy and chocolate covered clothes. “You’ve been a very naughty little girl!”

He was trying to get me flustered! How adorable!

“Ooh, is that a promise, **Pookie**?” I stepped under the hot water and purposely let out an obnoxious moan. “I can’t wait to get my spanking!” Plumeria proceeded to lose her shit again, actually snorting a few times between laughs, so I’m guessing Guzma’s face was priceless.

 

 

About an hour later, everyone was calmed down enough to talk about the possibility of the Shady House being turned into a Battle Mansion without dissolving into giggles. I had put on my reading glasses that had been packed away and I could feel Guzma staring at me every so often.

He’d been shocked when Plumeria had told him that I was the benefactor for the renovation of Shady House and get the permits needed to have it turned into a Battle Mansion.

While similar to the Chateau in Kalos, it wasn’t going to have the same ranking system. It didn’t make sense here with the more laid back culture or the Trials, which were focused more in the habitats of the Alolan Islands and the bonds between Trainers and their Pokémon.

I’d given them a large tablet that held the blueprints of renovations, additions, and a short video walkthrough that an Architect and Interior Designer had made that showcased what it would look like once it’s done and furnished. I was looking through all the pictures of the mansion that Plumeria had brought.

“Despite sharing this place with all those teenagers, it’s still in good condition.” I made a note on the back of the photo of the crashed chandelier. “Just need to tear up all the carpet and take down the wallpaper to see what we’re actually looking at. Roof, too, but besides where y’all have the planks to get to Guzma’s old room with the broken windows, it all looks good!”

“Don’t you need established Trainers to challenge?” Guzma’s eyes went to my neck when I put my hair up in a messy bun. “Can’t have people just show up and basically have a beat-down. Right?”

“That’s where your lil Princess comes in, Boss.” Plumeria nodded towards me as I jotted down a few more notes on the kitchen photo. “She’s gonna talk to Red and Blue at the Battle Tree, see if they’ll take a break and be Ranked with her as two Grand Dukes while she’s the Grand Duchess. Don’t they have a Soul Mate who battles, too?”

I shook my head as I read over the initial report of repairs needed that had been made when the Shady House was first inspected. “Hazel’s more of a support trainer. She prefers to cheer them on from the sidelines.” I looked at them over my glasses. “My Sylveon is actually from the same litter as a few of her Eeveelutions.”

“Isn’t Red, like, challenged? He can’t talk.” Guzma looked a little awkward when he brought it up. “Not saying that’s bad, but how does he get anything done or command his Pokémon?”

“Red has Selective Mutism. Took forever for him to say one word to me, even when I stayed with him and Hazel while Blue ran off to find his own Megastones.” I reached over the table to grab the list of permits we’d need, skimming it and comparing it to what Plumeria and Nanu had already gotten. “He signs, though, so you’re fine.” Guzma looked at his ex-Admin, who just shrugged. “I was thinking of getting my Chateau team out and going to the tree. Just make my way up the ranks, then ask them after the battle.”

“When are you gonna go do that, babe?”

“Probably after we get the demo started; it’s the best part of renovations,” I said with a smile and shooting off an email to Nanu on my RotomDex. 

We settled on a color scheme for the Shady House and called Mina to set up an appointment for help with making a crest for it.

When I saw Plumeria's signature, a tribal hibiscus that had her initials on one of the petals done with a fuchsia calligraphy pen, I stopped breathing for a few moments before I signed my own name. I waved her off when she asked if I was okay and we made plans to hangout without business reasons before she left.

In the six years since I originally gained my title as Hoenn champion, there was only one aspect of my life that had been truly vexing and I had just been given the answer on a golden platter.

 _Holy shit... Plumeria is Eevee's Soul Mate!_ I thought, mind racing as I went back to the table and sat down. 

I didn't hear Guzma asking if I wanted reheated pizza for dinner before I dropped into a dead faint at the table.


	7. Beat Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, some DRAMA!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a voice-actor that I headcanon for Guzma’s English Dub voice and their name is Yuurivoice. You can find them on Tumblr and Patreon with the same name! I highly recommend him – his SFW and NSFW is amazing!

A month passed and Guzma and I had fallen into a routine.

Guzma would do his training with Hala in the mornings, then he’d make his was to my place and we'd get to know one another. 

He’d made it a habit to show me around Alola and I was finding that I could now see why Sol loved this region so much. I still missed the forests of Hoenn, Johto, and Kanto, but Alola had a Tropical Beauty that felt almost the same.

Guzma had laughed at my reaction to an Alolan Vulpix – I’d squealed like a child and proceeded to try and woo it with Pokébeans before it was close enough to just press a Love Ball to. I named her Cotton Candy. I’d done the same with an Alolan Meowth, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to evolve it at that point. Alolan Persian looked like it had been stung by a Beedrill and then run into a wall with Extreme Speed! But I loved how sassy the little Meowth was so that was her name – Sassy.

We’d found out each other’s favorite colors, we both had our tongues and nipples pierced (though, he was a little bitter that I wouldn’t just flash him mine), and other random little tidbits.

Like the fact that Guzma’s hair was actually natural!

I called BS on him while we were having a few shots one night and he’d just… stood up and dropped his sweats to his knees. Indeed, his carpet matched the drapes and the furniture was impressive to say the least, but I had to poke some fun at him for some additions I saw.

“Instead of a happy trail you got a ‘treasure trail,’ huh?” I had been openly staring at the three gold barbells that I could see and felt a feral smile stretch across my face as I finally made eye contact with him again. “Ribbed for my pleasure, babe?”

To say that he was flustered was an understatement. I’d spent the rest of our little date reassuring him that it was fine and that I was not disappointed with what I saw, though I did have to tell him “no” when he tried to come on to me really hard.

Our first experience of anything romantic was not going to be under the influence of alcohol. Not if I had anything to say about it.

He was also much more comfortable with most of my PDA. 

Where he used to flinch when I went to touch his face or hair, he leaned into my touch instead. I could also hug him randomly without getting a full body flinch or a flail of limbs as a response. Holding hands in public still made him tense, but it was considerably less than when I first did it. Guzma was also okay with sleeping in the same bed and cuddling, but it was hit and miss when it came to his shirt being on or off. He still had days where he hated his scars and I knew it’d take a while to get over that.

We hadn’t had an actual kiss yet, but I was in no rush.

Right now, I was happy that he felt comfortable doing the Hongi/Honi – which was an Alolan greeting where you press your forehead to each other’s and inhale at the same time. It represented the exchange of Ha (Breath of Life) and Mana (Spiritual Power) between two people, and I found it kind of romantic even though it could be done between anyone. I don’t mind giving him some of my strength if he needed it.

Currently, it’d been about a week since I’d seen Guzma. He’d called me almost every day, but something felt off since the night when he’d left.

I’d felt a rush of fear and anger, then humiliation, topped off with grim resolution. He wouldn’t tell me about it, either, and I didn’t want to push him too far, so I left it alone. Guzma said he was fine, that it was just someone talking shit and it hurt, but nothing he hadn’t heard before.

It wasn’t until the seventh day of him not coming over that I learned what was happening from the one person I didn’t expect it from.

 

It was late, probably about ten pm when I got a call from Hau. I wasn’t asleep, but I was finally settling down for the night.

“Hey, Hau! Never expected you to call me so la-”

_“No time for that, Cuz! You need to get to Iki Town ASAP!”_

“Why? What’s wrong?” I sat up and started getting dressed, pulling on one of my thicker hoodies as I walked out to the barn to grab Auron and my Charizard, Cherry. “Is Sol okay?”

_"Sol is fine, but Guzma’s dad has been harassing him ever since he came back from your place last week!” I growled in my throat as I ran back inside to grab my gauge with my Mega-Keystone in it. “He came back to Grandpa Hala’s all beat up and his old man’s been showing up in Iki Town every night since! He actually started a fist fight this time, but Guzma didn’t even hit back! He just tried to defend himself! I’m worried about him, Sis…”_

“Hau, did you or anyone happen to record his father doing this?” I scoffed when I heard an affirmative answer. “Give them my contact info and tell them to send it to me. I’m leaving now, I’ll be there soon. Keep Guzma inside for me, okay bud?” I hung up without an answer as I triggered Cherry to Mega-Evolve, her skin turning black and her flames blue.

“PMC on Route 2,” I growled as I jumped onto Cherry’s saddle. “We have someone who needs a reeducation.”

I closed off the bond with what must’ve felt like an iron gate when I felt Guzma reacting to my outburst of emotion. The cold air of the Alolan night had cooled my skin, but not my anger as Cherry landed at the PMC and I quickly put her back in her Pokéball while calling Nanu.

“Sorry to bother you so late, Nanu, but I need you at Iki Town.”

_"What the hell do you need me on Mele-Mele at ten thirty at night, kid?”_

“I’m going to confront Guzma’s father because he’s been harassing him all week and started a fight with him in front of Hala’s today. I’ve studies Soul Mate laws and I am allowed to have him arrested and I will be pressing charges after tonight.”

_"Alright, I’ll be there soon. You’re a pain in my ass, you know that, right?”_

“Do hurry. This might turn into a murder if you don’t.” I hung up the phone and focused on why I was here.

My feet carried me to his parents’ home and I slammed my hand on the door, letting Auron out of his own ball. My faithful sparring partner picked up on my mood and stood close behind me as I waited for the door to open. I heard glass break, a few things slam, and some yelling before the lock disengaged.

A tall man with dark hair whipped open the door and almost fell with the momentum, obviously drunk and smelling like he’d spilled half the bottle of liquor on himself. I scowled and covered my nose with the sleeve of my hoodie as he leaned forward to try and be intimidating. I’m guessing this is where Guzma got his height from.

“What the hell do you want, kid? Don’t you know what time it is?” He leaned too far forward and almost fell on me, but Auron shoved his shoulder back so he stumbled back into the doorjamb.

“I’d say AA, but that’s useless for you at this point, isn’t it?”

“Listen here, you little shit-” I cut him off by grabbing his collar and all but throwing him off the porch.

“No, you listen, asshole.” I followed him off the porch as Guzma’s mother came out of the house, but Auron stopped her from leaving the porch. “You’ve been hurting someone precious to me and that shit’s gonna stop.” Standing over this man didn’t even make me feel powerful. He was too pathetic as he tried to get to his feet and tried to square off against me.

“Oh, you’re that piece of shit's Soul Mate – that Bi-Regional champion bitch.”

“I am a TRI-Regional Champion who tamed a fucking legendary,, but who's keeping track?” I gave him my most unimpressed look as I shifted my weight from one hip to the other and crossed my arms over my chest. “Now, you can either stop your harassment or I can beat you into submission with my bare hands. Either way, the cops are coming to take your pathetic ass away-” A blinding pain exploded on my right cheek and I felt huge hands wrap around my neck.

“How dare you talk to me like that, you cunt!” I grabbed his wrists and started putting pressure on his pulses, but I could still feel my air supply being cut off a bit. “You’re gonna defend that little shit when he couldn’t even take first in any competitions? He’s a failure and you will be, too!”

I saw **red**.

“Big mistake, mother fucker,” I growled at him, baring my teeth and snapping one of his wrists making him release me with a yowl of pain. I growled like a Mightyena as I stalked his steps back. “You want a shot at the title, chump?” I snarled at him as I cracked my knuckles and bent my knees.

Before he had time to retaliate, I tackled him to the ground and started punching his face in.

He was too drunk to do anything besides try and block my tiny fists of fury, but I didn’t stop until I felt and heard a satisfying crunch when I landed a solid hit on his nose. 

I stood up, wiping his blood off my knuckles with his shirt, and motioned Auron over to the wimpering trash.

“Tie him up good and tight. We’re bringing him to Hala.” The Blaziken nodded and found some rope on the porch. While he was doing that, I heard footsteps come from the house and whipped my head to look at who made them.

It was his mother and she had a few bruises of her own that made me shake in anger again. She just placed a hand tentatively on my arm and gave me a teary smile.

“Thank you for protecting him when I couldn’t.” I blinked like an Rowlet at her and just nodded as she walked back into the house.

 

The walk to Hala’s was full of half assed threats that made Auron and I roll our eyes so hard it hurt. Didn’t help that it was muffled from all the blood running into his mouth.

Is it too heartless to hope he drowned to death? It’s impractical, I know, because gravity doesn’t flow skyward and Auron had this trash heap over his shoulder.

Nanu was already there talking to Hala in front of his home when Auron dumped Guzma’s father at their feet. Hala looked like he was going to give me talking to until he saw my face.

“My dear, what-”

“Him, but as you can see, I handled it.” I felt bad interrupting him because Hala was just trying to help, but I was done with people and I had one goal for the night. “Where’s Guzma?”

“Inside, but-” I went around them and walked inside. I followed Hau’s voice and found him sitting with Guzma on his bed in what looked like a bunking room for all of Hala’s students, both of them looking through a book about the native Bug Pokémon in Alola. I knocked on the door and about seven people turned to face me. Guzma and Hau’s faces looked horrified so I guess the bruises are starting to show.

“Knock, knock.” I stepped into the room and gently closed the book and set it next to them on the bed. “Pack your shit, Guzma. You’re moving in with me.” He opened his mouth to say something, but I pressed a finger to his lips and leaned down so my hands were on either side of his legs and my forehead was pressed against his. “We. Are. Leaving. Now.”

My tone left no room for discussion. 

I stood up and walked back outside to wait with Hala and Nanu, who was properly cuffing Guzma’s father.

Said drunk idiot was threatening the two Kahuna and even trying to spit blood at them. I shook my head when he tried to turn his insults on me as I walked out of the door and I just stared at him from my spot next to Auron. Hau came out a few minutes later with ice for my face and Guzma on his heals with a duffle bag.

Both froze when they saw the man the two Kahuna were leading out of town.

“I told you he’d never touch you again, didn’t I?” Guzma turned to look at me with wide eyes and I saw a young, hurt child in them. “I’m going to make sure he goes away for a very long fucking time and he’s never laying a hand on you or your mother again.”

He nodded and I ruffled Hau’s hair before I released Cherry from her ball and returned Auron to his. I tied Guzma’s bag to the back of her saddle and climbed on, Guzma settling behind me and we were off after I promised I’d make Hau something sweet from Kalos.

The fly back home was silent, but Guzma was holding me tightly and I was sure he was shaking. Cold or emotions, probably both. Getting his stuff inside and to my room was quiet, too, and I made sure that I cleared out a drawer for the clothing he brought with him and pointed him towards my bathroom to shower before I let myself relax.

I pulled out the peroxide, antibacterial cream, and bandages before sitting in the middle of my bed with a heavy sigh.

Guzma probably thought I was pissed at him, but I was pissed at myself and his father. I should’ve just knocked him out in one hit instead of beat him senseless, but I’m more of an “instant gratification” type of person and that felt amazing!

I must’ve been more zoned out than I thought because the next thing I knew, Guzma was pouring the peroxide on my knuckles and patting them dry. I was so numb from the adrenaline wearing off that I didn’t even hiss when it bubbled on my ripped up hands. It felt nice having him take care of me and I initiated a Hongi when he was done, taking a slow deep breathe with my eyes closed.

When I opened them, I saw tears on his cheeks and moved my hands to gently wipe them away with my thumbs. I pulled him between my legs so I could hold him and signed happily when his arms encircled my own body.

“No need for tears, baby.” I pressed his head to my chest like I used to with Sol when he was sad. I started running a hand through his hair while the other held him tightly to me. “I’m fine.”

“He still hurt ya.” I tilted my neck a little when I felt one of Guzma’s large hands brush against the bruises on it. I suppressed a shiver because now was not the time for that. “He could’ve killed you.” He jumped at the loud 'ha' I let out.

“Bitch, please. A drunk and blind Spinda would have better luck than that chump.” I tightened my grip on him and inhaled his scent again, sighing and nuzzling the top of his head. “You are mine. No one is allowed to hurt you but me.” He pulled away and gave me a very incredulous look, which looked adorable with his smeared purple eye shadow. “And I’ll make sure you’ll enjoy it,” I said with a wink as I tried to clean around his eyes with a spare washcloth he’d brought with him.

“I’m more trouble than I’m worth, Akara… Shit like that happens all the time ta me… Ya can’t arrest 'em all…”

“I’ll bust my knuckles on anyone that thinks they can lay a hand on you or anyone I care about, Guzma.” I gave him another Hongi and we just sat there enjoying each other’s presence.

I had to redo the bandages on my knuckles because they were a little too tight, so it was quiet for a few minutes as we got comfortable for bed. Guzma had decided on going shirtless tonight and I had to take a deep calming breath as I saw him stretched out and comfortable on my bed.

Fighting gets me a little hot, leave me alone…

I turned off the lights and proceeded to crawl over his body until I was straddling him and just rested my body on his that way. One of his hands rubbed my thigh and the other rested between my shoulder blades as I gave my name on his collar bone an opened mouth kiss. Smirking in the dark at the soft hiss he made, I sat up just enough to see his face and kissed his nose.

“Didn’t think you’d be into that kinky shit, babe,” he mumbled with the cutest blush, referencing my earlier comment about making sure he liked the pain, as I cupped his face in my hands and made him look at me. His blush got darker as I brushed my nose with his and kissed the corner of his mouth.

“You got bonded to a very dominant Switch, Guzma.” I hummed as I kissed the other side of his mouth. My eyes looked at his lips when he started biting them. “Stop that,” I said as I used my thumb to pull his bottom lip away from his teeth. “Gonna get them all chapped when they’re nice and soft.”

I know it was me who moved first, but Guzma didn’t hesitate to kiss me back when I pressed my lips against his. His lips were, actually, surprisingly soft, full, and fit perfectly against mine. There was no hesitation when the chaste peck I’d initiated turned into small open mouthed kisses and I was amused at the small noises Guzma was making.

We both made a soft moaning sound as the kisses grew a little bolder, but I pulled away with a soft hiss when he tried to nip my neck. He looked at the bruises guiltily as he laid back down fully, rubbing where he’d nipped.

“Rain check with interest?” I said with a chuckle as I laid down next to him, nuzzling into his side.

“What else do I get?” he asked as he undid my braid and ran a hand through my hair. I could hear the smirk in his voice.

“I’ll show you exactly what I’m into tomorrow.” I counted a solid five breathes before it clicked as to what I meant. He made an interested hum as his hand ran down my back. “After we get the rest of your stuff from the Shady House.”

“Ugh, mood killer,” he huffed and let his hand just rest on my waist, other hand scrubbing over his face. “Those Grunts gonna be all ova me… Haven’t visited in a long time.”

“Goodnight, Bone Daddy.”

“Bone Daddy!?”

 

 

When I woke up the next day, I flinched at the bruises I saw on Guzma’s arms from blocking the hits from his old man. At least he was sleeping so deep he was drooling on the pillow, though.

It was around six am when I woke up, so I went about my usual routine of opening the large barn and releasing the bigger Pokémon onto the field. I filled up their stables’ water supplies, put a few treats in their food troughs, and changed out the bedding.

Auron was coming back from getting Tapu Cocoa from Tapu Village when I got back inside about an hour later and he just handed me a tabloid that had to have the best shot of me I’d ever seen on one of these trash mags.

It was a grainy close up of me holding Guzma’s father’s face against the dirt with my hand, the man’s face was a bloody mess, and I looked absolutely feral. My eyes looked like hellfire, hair windblown and wild, and my teeth were bared in a snarl – I loved it! The headline was even better:

_Multi-Regional Champion Bullies Senior Citizen_

I couldn’t even hold in the laughter that came out with an ugly snort and just sat there on my engawa laughing until my stomach and face hurt and tears were pouring out of my eyes. As I calmed down, my RotomDex started going off with calls and texts as more and more people saw it. My social media was blowing up so I expected to hear from my agent sometime today.

I called my mother to let her know the situation and actually shot Artemis a short email back detailing what really happened last night when I noticed she had emailed me to ask about it. Everything else could wait as I enjoyed my cocoa and watched the sun come over the trees.

It was around eight when I got a text from someone I hadn’t heard from in a while – Hazel – letting me know that her and the boys were in Alola and wanted to catch up with Eevee and I. Maybe meet at one of the many beaches and just chill, which was fine for me. I wanted to try the Mantine Surfing and maybe even tan a little bit.

She was the Soul Mate of Red and Blue, making them an odd little threesome, but she was good for them. She was around my height, but her “Take No Shit” attitude was a bit softer than mine. Where I was ready to throw down at the drop of a hat, Hazel would try to exhaust every other option before she even thought of throwing a punch.

As if Red or Blue would let her even try, though. They’d gladly do it for her.

Guzma came shambling downstairs in just his usual hoodie and his boxers looking like the living dead. He initiated a Hongi before making a cup of his own Tapu Cocoa (he insisted he made his own, so until I figured out how he liked it, I’d let him) and then sitting down next to me, flipping the tabloid open to read the article about my bullying issue.

“‘Alola beware! It appears that our beloved Champion, Sol, has a violent tendencies in his sister!’” He stared at the page for a moment before getting up and tossing it onto the counter with a displeased grunt. “Whatta crock of shit.”

I nodded as I replied to Hazel, letting her know that I’d pass on the message to Eevee and setting up a time and place. This would be interesting; Red and I were mad chill with each other, but Blue and I got on like a house fire in the worst possible way.

Ever read Homestuck? If you have, you know about the Quadrants. If you know about the Quadrants, you know about the Kismesissitude or Black Romance. That’s how Blue and I worked – a Kismesiship without sex, though we came close to hate fucking the last time I went out drinking with him and Red before Hazel found them on Mt Silver. Red made sure it didn’t happen, though, like the good man he is.

“Guzma, you wanna go to the beach next week with Eevee and I?” He nodded his head from where he had it on my shoulder. Must still be tired, my poor Flabébé. “Alright, find your trunks. Eevee and I gotta go get new swimsuits, though.”

After Eevee stopped by to help us get the rest of Guzma’s things from Shady House, including his chest of Buginium Z and the throne with its little steps, I dragged her out to Malie City while Guzma settled in. I’d decided he could stay behind after Eevee almost killed him with all her teasing about the throne and all the fun we could have with it. Poor man, I thought he was going to have a nose bleed while I tried not to laugh at his misfortune.

Truthfully, I was thinking the same kinds of things, so I told him to set it up in what is now our room facing the bed. He also had permission to go through the small chest I had at the end of the bed, which is where I kept all of my own BDSM stuff, or NSFW stuff in general, locked away from prying eyes.

Eevee was waiting for the texts Guzma might send when he opened that chest; I was just hoping he didn’t decide to move right back into Po Town. You never know how someone is going to react to that stuff, but he seemed alright with the bare minimum I told him last night, so here’s hoping he doesn’t run for the hills!

While shopping, Eevee ended up deciding on a vintage style bikini with a high waist and I ended up choosing a simple black push-up triangle bikini top with normal bottoms. I also grabbed a wetsuit to wear over it for when I tried the Mantine Surfing. We grabbed some beach towels and other things we might need, which included sandcastle molds, a beach ball, sunscreen (even though Eevee knew it’d be a fight to get me to use it), a giant blanket to lay on, sarongs to match our swimsuits, and sunglasses.

Guzma had texted me with a picture of my chest with the caption of “y does ya boy feel like Imma ‘bout 2 open Pandora’s Box?” That was quickly followed by an extremely blurry picture of the chest open (you couldn’t even tell what was in it) that looked like the black light was on with a caption of “HAVE YOU USED ALL OF THIS!?"

We had to wait a solid ten minutes before we were calm enough to even get on Cherry to fly back. Every time we stopped, the giggles would come back with a vengeance. Eevee went straight to her room and I went straight to mine, where Guzma was still messing with the rope while looking through a book of Shibari that I had stashed in the chest, as well.

“That’s made with Ariados silk, Guzma.” He jumped like he’d been caught doing something bad, which he would be if we’d been in that headspace. I flicked on the normal bedroom light and turned off the UV one. “You shouldn’t be reading in this light, either. Bad for your eyes, babe.”

“So…” Guzma trailed off as he put the rope and book back, locking the chest again. “Have you used all’a that?” He walked towards me until he was at my side as I started sorting through everything that I had bought for the beach. “Like ya had someone ta use it on?”

“No,” I said, refolding the blanket and starting to pack everything away in a huge duffle I had. “Hooked up with a girl in Unova who was chill with all of that and she got me into it. Spent a week learning the ins and outs of everything, but I research on my own and get things that I want to learn to use.”

Finishing up, I sat in his throne that now faced the bed, sitting like I would back in Hoenn when I had a challenger. I’d been told it made me “…Exude power, dominance, and control… Like a predator…” by the Elite Four and it looked like I actually did.

Guzma let out a shuddering breath when I just turned my head to look at him, chin resting on my palm. I smirked at him and held out my free hand, making a come hither motion. He, surprisingly, made his way over so he was standing in front of me. I wrapped my arms around his waist and my chin on his stomach so I was looking up at him.

Dear Arceus, did he look conflicted in the best possible way. It made me chuckle that he had no idea what to do with his hands.

“Is my boy is a bottom?” I asked coyly as I nudged him back so I could stand and got down from the small pedestal, grabbing his hand and going downstairs while still teasing. “Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle with you, Flabébé.”

“Ya boy is gonna have a heart attack. That’s what’s gonna happen…”


	8. Helping Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know what every self indulgent fic needs? A Beach Episode. You know what this chapter is? If you guess Beach Episode you'd be correct! Hello friends and welcome to Guest Author Dr34m3rGurl's special appearance! Drama! Rivalry! Betrayal! Let's watch!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! If you couldn't tell, I'm not your usual lovely lovely author, but have instead been given permission to write this chapter since I gave her the idea for it! Hope you don't mind the hostile take over of your regularly scheduled programming, enjoy!

The sun in the Alolan sky had dipped well beyond the horizon, the twilight already dimming into darkness. This time of night the Ferry's terminal was usually quiet, with the occasional murmur or cough of people who waited for friends or family to come in from the other regions. The ferry's attendance tonight, as with many things Akara had come to accept as her life,was not normal. Filled to capacity, or well over it and no one was willing to admit, with reporters waiting to catch the first glimpse of the arriving passengers.

Pulling the brim of her hat down low, Akara all but bulldozed her way forward to the help desk where a terrified looking ferry employee had given up trying to maintain order over the loud speaker. None of the journalists were listening, willing or otherwise, to the instructions she was trying to give. Loud chatter and the unmistakable whir of photographs going off filled the room and drowned her timid voice out, even with the helpful amplification of the loud speaker.

Akara tipped the brim of her hat up with a wide grin, motioning the help desk girl over.

“Excuse me, seems you could use a bit of help here?”

“Please! I haven't seen a disaster like this since the tri-regional champion came to Alola, and I wasn't the one who had to handle it!” The girl hiccuped, very nearly on the verge of tears. Akara reached over the desk and gave her a confident pat on the shoulder, then ducked into the crowd again and weaved her way through the people till she was at the door with pokeball in hand. She ran her thumb across the release button on the ball as she stepped outside, breathing in the cool night air.

“Ready to cause a little mayhem there, buddy?” She whispered to her pokeball, then readied her throwing arm. “Hey guys who wants to see a LEGENDARY!”

Immediately after she screamed into the crowd a hush fell over the reporters, every head turning to her as she flung the ball out, aiming past the dock where Kyogre made a wicked slash. Even from where she stood in the door, she managed to catch enough to soak her top. The result was satisfyingly prompt, with a new cacophony of eager clicks of camera shutters and a rushed stampede of feet out of the building to admire and photograph the wonder of a captured Legendary.

With the bulk of the reporters marveling over her pokemon, Akara shut the door behind her with a self-satisfied grin, dusting her hands off as if they'd gotten dirty in the first place. The help desk girl's eyes were very nearly bulging out of her head, trying to look around the reporters, with no luck by the look of mild disappointment, at Kyogre who by now was playing it up quite happily in reporter's lime light.

“Don't worry, I'll let'cha see it later, promise.” Akara winked, then settled in her seat next to Eevee who had taken to shaking her head with no current signs of stopping.

“You do realize you didn't actually take care of the issue. Now instead of making it harder for your friends to get in here without being swamped by flashing cameras, it's harder to get out there without being swamped by flashing cameras.”

Akara clicked her tongue, humming in thought before shrugging with another grin.

“Ah well, we'll burn that bridge when we get to it.”

“Cross that bridge.”

“I know what I said.”

Like hilariously timed music to her ears, Eevee groaned, but at least she'd stopped shaking her head in favor of a simple face palm to convey all her frustration. 

Guzma dozed quietly on her other side, sunk low into his seat with his arms crossed and head tucked into his chest. In all honest, Akara couldn't fathom how he managed to snooze through the commotion. Or for that matter, at all in the uncomfortable plastic seats. But at the same time, couldn't bring herself to wake up the bug user. 

“Say, Eevs, what time is the ferry supposed to dock?”

“The information board is right there, I'm not your personal assistant.” Eevee stuck out her tongue, even gave her friend a playful shove. “Looks like we've got fifteen more minutes before it docks.”

“Good, I could use a little skitty-nap myself.”

Akara settled into her seat; nudging and pushing gently, trying not wake Guzma up, until she had her head resting on his shoulder. In a matter of no time she was out, and what felt like even less time than that Eevee was shaking her awake.

“Akara c'mon, boat's docked and they're unloading already!” The shaking increased from mildly-frantic to holy-shit-wake-up-now. Akara snorted.

“Mmmawake I swear...” She murmured and yawned, wakefulness slow to catch up with her. She slid out of her seat and stretched, despite her best efforts the plastic chair was not kind to her back. Evidence best supported by the loud popping sounds as she twisted and cracked her spine back into place.

“Whoa whoa now, little bit of space guys!”

Akara looked over to the, now thinned, group of reporters clamoring around the terminal and pulled a face. The kind of face that can only be described as _I stepped in someone's vomit_. Unpleasant to say the least.

“C'mon we're here all week no need to be rowdy!” The voice in the middle of the crowd laughed heartily, obviously enjoying the attention despite the claims otherwise.  
“Oh god not this asshole...”

“Akara, you literally knew he was coming. This is not a surprise.”

Akara continued to pull her unpleasant face until Blue pushed through the crowd with Hazel in tow, Red following close behind with an Audino bringing up the rear. Once free from the crowd, Akara's eyes widened in shock, gasping aloud. All previous traces of sleep vanished in an instant, and she bolted from her seat.

“Haze! Babe!” She threw her arms around the other girl's shoulders. “Why didn't you- sweet baby pichus girl look at you!”

“Oi whoa careful!” Blue attempted to intervene, only to be so rudely shoved away. The Audino chirped pulling at Hazel's hand, went largely ignored by Akara but was given a reassuring pat by Hazel.

“Quiet Blueballs,” Akara hugged Hazel's head to her chest, smoothing the hair on the top of her head. “You were not invited.”

“Akara please!” Hazel laughed, pulling herself out of Akara's embrace and settled her hands on her very round stomach. “I swear I wanted to tell you about them sooner, but I was trying to keep it rather quiet.”

“Them? As in plural? As in babies?!” Akara clasped Hazel's hand in barely contained glee. "No wonder you want it hushed, but with fussy pants as one of your bond mates? I'm surprised it wasn't all over the tabloids already."

“I _can_ hear you, you know, Squirt.”

“I know fully well that you have functioning ears, pidgey-breath.”

Eevee rolled her eyes, watching Akara and Blue bicker back and forth for entirely too long.

“You must be Eevee.” Hazel had waddled over, stuck out her hand with a grin. Audino followed again, no more than two steps behind. “I heard a lot about you, only positive things I promise. Oh! And that's Caramel, she's kinda like my midwife, I suppose? She hasn't let me be by myself since she found out. Won't even go back in her ball, trust me it's annoying when I need alone time.”

“You don't seemed phased by that. Like, at all.” Eevee gestured to the two, fists waving wildly between the two champions.

Hazel looked over at Blue and Akara, who were giving each other a verbal smack down with little pause for breath. Quips and comebacks dropped quicker than a Rapidash could sprint. Evidently they'd been practicing. “Mmm, I'm pretty sure that's how they greet each other. Give it another minute or so, they'll run out of steam soon enough.”

True to prediction, or precedent according to Hazel, Akara and Blue fist bumped, each with a smirk. Petty rivalry aside, both seemed thrilled to have the week ahead of them.

“Oh! Haze you have to meet- shit wait, he's still sleeping.” Akara fast walked her way over to where Guzma was still sleeping in the chair. She tapped at his knee, trying to be as gentle as possible so as not to startle him. “Guzma... Guzma c'mon wake up...”

He finally woke with a start, jolting hard enough to fall out of his chair and land on his ass on the floor. Akara tried to cover the laugh, only just catching it before it became more than a snerk. He groaned, rubbing his back and pushing his joints back into place. Must have been every bit as comfortable as Akara found the chairs to be.

“Morning sleepy head, so nice to have you.”

“Yeah yeah, har har.” Guzma grumbled, accepting the hand she held out and pulled him up with surprising ease. “Wasn't sleeping, restin' my eyes a bit.”

“Whatever you say, babe. C'mere, I wanna introduce you to my friends.”

Still clearly bleary eyed, Guzma looked between Red, Blue, and Hazel as Akara introduced them each in turn. Red tipped the brim of his cap, Blue gave him a cheeky grin, Hazel a pleasant wave. 

“Who the fuck let you swallow a watermelon?”

Without skipping a beat, Red straight-faced signed away _That's not the only thing she swallowed_. That earned him an audible smack in the ribs from a very flushed Hazel, and a fit of laughter from both Akara and Blue, while leaving both Guzma and Eevee incredibly confused.

“M'I missin' something here?”

“Nothing, I'll tell you later, promise.” Akara managed between fits of giggles. 

 

After getting the trio settled in into her spare bedroom, Akara sat in her kitchen table with a steaming cup of tea in hand. Guzma sat across from her, Tapu Cocoa cooling on the table in front of him as he rocked his chair back and forth.

“So howsit your friend's got pokemon if she's not a trainer?” He asked, letting the chair settle back on all fours and scooped up his mug. 

“Not all pokemon are caught to be trained.” Akara set her own mug down, getting up to put more water on for her guests. “Some are pets for children, some are family for the lonely, all of them partners and friends. I once helped a boy out catching a friend when I first started out my journey. His Ralts grew up to be a wonderful Gardevoir, and he managed to be decent as a trainer. I truly believe what he needed most was a friend that would stay with him, and help him make more friends along the way.”

Akara stood over the stove, kettle steaming but not quite boiling yet.

“It's nice to have something in common with everyone else. Our pokemon bridge as many differences as they cause.”

Guzma shifted uncomfortably in his chair, recalling his time as leader of Team Skull. Good intentions aside, he still felt he had a lot to make up for. At least now, the task didn't seem so impossible to do, he wasn't alone. He didn't feel alone. He felt better than he had in months, possibly even years.

“You'd be beyond upset if something awful happened to Golisopod, wouldn't you?” Guzma winced, giving her her answer. She smiled at him, three new mugs of tea in hand as she walked back to her guest room. “You're gentler than you realize, and kinder than you know. Get some sleep, Guzma, we've got a big day tomorrow.”

“Whoa wait, what's tomorrow?”

“Didn't I tell you? Hmm, oh well. You'll see.”

 

The day started bright and warm after a full nights rest, Akara rushing around her house, packing bags and preparing food. More than once Hazel had attempted to help, but had been shushed and forced to sit by Red, Akara, and Caramel repeatedly.

“Please, I'm pregnant, not disabled.” Hazel whined, after having been yet again pushed back into a chair, for what seems like the dozenth or so time. Her protests went unheard, after awhile left to pout with her Plusle and Minun cuddling on her lap.

“Little of both there, Haze.” Akara halved the sandwich she'd finally finished and carefully wrapped it, and placed both halves in the picnic basket sitting on her kitchen table. She then shut the basket's lid, satisfied with what she'd made thus far. “Besides, we're all ready to go, so there's nothing left to do!” 

It was a short trip to Ula'ula Beach, the weather promised a warm and sunny day. It took some convincing, but Akara had managed to make Plumeria agree to joining them in their outing. She'd said she'd be later in the day, after asking any of the other kids in Po town if they wanted to join as well. Of course, Akara neglected to tell Eevee of this little tidbit. A little surprise she'd worked into the day's events for her friend.

"I'm still not sure about this bikini, Akara." Eevee fidgeted with the hem of the yellow sun dress that covered the aforementioned bikini. "I'm not exactly sure it's... quite my style."

"Eevs, babe, you're rocking that swim suit." Akara swung one arm around Eevee's shoulders, waving out towards the beach. "It's stunning, you're stunning, we're going to have fun today."

"Imma smack anyone who says otherwise." Hazel pipped up, winking in a way that shown promise behind her words.

The group set up their place in the sand, laying out towels blankets and bags. Akara distributed her sandwiches as they worked, simple ham and cheese on wheat. Nothing to heavy to interfere with the days planned activities, but satisfying none the less. Hazel hung back by their bags, forcing both Red and Blue to sit while putting their sun screen on. The two signed back and forth snickering, something Hazel did not miss. She smacked them both on their exposed backs. The instant she finished, Red bee lined for the nearest trainer, pokeball in hand and an excited glint in his eye.

"Eevee aren't you going to take the sundress off? You can't get in the water like that."

"Mmm, in a moment. I'm enjoying the warm sand first."

Hazel scooted over, giving her a meaningful look and a comforting pat on the shoulder. Given exactly enough encouragement, Eevee shed the dress and got to her feet to help Hazel up to hers.

"Guys, c'mon who wants to join me for some Mantine Surfing!"

"Pass."

"Hazel you know damn well I didn't mean you."

"Gasp! Akara, I'm injured you'd exclude me so!"

Akara rolled her eyes, making her way towards the shoreline where the Mantines were, Blue hot on her heels.

"I'll join you, Squirt." He quirked an eyebrow up in challenge. "Wanna make it interesting, though?"

Akara knew baiting when it was right in front of her, but couldn't help but the rise he was fishing for. She squared her shoulders, looking up defiantly at him.

"What'd you have in mind? And define, 'interesting'."

"Only a little challenge. Winner buys the meat for a barbecue for the whole beach."

"The _whole_ beach?"

"Wouldn't be an interesting challenge if the steaks weren't high."

"I swear to Arceus if that was a pun..." Akara pinched the bridge of her nose, trying her damnedest not to punch him. "Name your game, Blue."

"Mantine Surfing, a race."

"You said you'd make it interesting."

"Of course I'm making it interesting! We'll have one pokemon each with us along the way!"

"On the _Mantine?_ " Blue spread his hands out with a smug grin, inviting her to the challenge. "Oh you're on. You're going down, Blueballs."

"One pokemon each, Squirt." Blue tossed his pokeball in the air, an Umbreon landing gracefully on his shoulder. Without hesitation, Akara had her own Sylveon out, Syl landing by her feet. With help from the attendants, both trainers were poised at the ready on top of their respective Mantines. The spark of mutual rivalry passed between them as the attendent raised her hand in the air.

"On your mark, get set, go!"

They were off, Akara with an immediate lead, ducking low to her Mantine for greater speeds. She effortlessly swung around the rocks and obstacles that littered the course, the skills coming naturally to her. Blue similarly skilled, but standing straight and looking as cocky as ever. Akara rolled her eyes, turning back to the path ahead of her.

"Umbreon, use Psychic!" Without any warning the water in front of her twisted and whirpooled, spinning her violently off course and throwing her and Syl off her Mantine. Blue glided ahead of her, same smug grin plastered on his face.

"What the actual fuck, Blue!"

"Told you I'd make it interesting, you snooze you lose Squirt!"

"Oh it's on like Dewgong, asshole!" Akara swamp back, helping Syl up first then climbing up herself next. She urged Mantine forward, leaning low and slowly gaining speed.

"Sly, Swift!"

"Protect!"

Syl's attack bounced off Umbreon's conjured barrier, deflected to the waves on either side of them. Akara was so focused on her opponent she almost wiped out again, this time on a Wailmer that surfaced next to her. She managed to swerve in the nick of time, but it cost her some more distance between herself and Blue, and the end of the course was approaching fast. An idea struck her, and she pointed out her target.

"Sy, use Sing!"

Blue was quick to cover his ears, unfortunately for him, Syl's attack wasn't intended for him. Whatever distance he'd gained was lost, as Mantine fell asleep from under him.

"Oi wait, wake up!"

He was still trying to it up when Akara crossed the finish line, pumping her fists in the air in victory. She dove off of her Mantine, surfacing with Syl paddling along side her.

"Eat it, Blueballs! You're bankrolling the barbecue!"

"Well played Squirt," Blue shrugged with a grin. "Well played."

"Hope I didn't miss much?"

Standing at the shore was Plumeria, flanked by two teens sporting the old Team Skull uniform, creatively altered for beach attire. Akara swam back to meet her, wringing out her hair and tossing it back.

"Not at all, you got her in time to see me kicking that asshole's ass." She jammed her thumb back at Blue, who'd finally managed to wake up Mantine and guide it back to the shore. "So no, I'd say you missed nothing."

"Except sandwiches." Hazel pipped up from several feet away, who'd evidently spent her time burying Eevee in the sand.

"Except sandwiches." Akara confirmed.

"Boss!" The two kids cried out, running from Plumeria's side to tackle Guzma into the sand.

"Oi! Ow watch it- tch! Damn brats!" Guzma, despite his seemingly harsh words, was ruffling the kid's hair with a wide smile. "Alright alright up! Y'all are getting sand in my shorts!"

"Boss you keep forgetting to visit us!"

"Yeah Boss! Everyone misses you!"

"We been fixing up Shady House like Plumeria asked."

"Kept your room the same though."

"Yeah no one wanted to mess with that mess."

"Oi, ya got a problem with my room?"

"No!"

"Not at all Boss!"

Akara couldn't help but giggle at the scene, watching the two former grunts go back and forth with Guzma like excited children. For all intents and purposes, she supposed they were still children. Children who didn't want to go back to their homes, who called Shady House home more so than where they came from.

"Akara." Plumeria pulled her from her reverie. "Your friend there is staring at me."

Akara glanced over her shoulder at Eevee who was struggling to get out from her sandy encasement, eyes locked on Plumeria's mark. Finally she was free, pulling herself upright and desperately shaking the sand off in an attempt to look presentable.

"I-! You-!" She gasped, words failing her. Plumeria's eyebrow quirked up in question.

"Yes, me."

"I-I..." She fidgeted with her fingers, then took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "H-Hi, my names Laire, I believe that's... believe that's my signature on your thigh."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go my lovelies, thank you for reading! Your talented author will be back for the next chapter, with so much more planned it'd make your head spin!


	9. Night Daze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Play with fire and you're going to get burned...  
> But some people might be into that kinda thing.

“So is that why you fainted after Plumes left that day?”

“You fainted, Squirt?” Blue dissolved into laughter while my Sylveon started a tussle with his Umbreon. I scowled as I sat next to Guzma and wiggled out of the wetsuit I had used in our Mantine Surfing contest.

“Hey! Eevee and I have been traveling for a little over a year, stopping everywhere there were ridiculous amounts of flowers, just to find who her mark belonged to!” Blue shrieked as I threw my wetsuit at him and sat next to Guzma and Hazel in the sand. I let out a shriek myself as Guzma started putting the cold sunscreen on my back. “Like… This was more frustrating than trying to figure out a ship name for you, Hazel, and Red! And that took me over three years!”

“Well, what stopped her from travelling herself? She’s our age right, Lil Bit?” Blue started doing the same for Hazel, who couldn’t reach her own back or even legs in her very pregnant state. “Shouldn’t she have gone on at least one journey with her Pokémon?”

“She doesn’t have any, Bluebell.” I looked down the beach to where Eevee and Plumeria were talking and smiled sadly. “Her parents were this stuffy, entitled family that made Father’s side of mine look like Swingers. They thought that just because she’s a little bigger that she didn’t have what it takes to be a trainer.”

“That’s terrible!” Hazel said in outrage, adorable face all red with puffed cheeks. “How dare they talk about her like that?” I nodded as Guzma finished my back and started on my arms, legs, and front.

“Thas’a buncha BS.” Guzma crossed his arms as he also looked to Plumeria and Eevee. “Kahuna Hala aside, there’s a buncha guys on Akala that’re either Hala’s size or bigger and they’re still decent trainers.”

“That’s why I kidnapped her. Basically told her ‘I’m gonna be at this PMC for a week, meet me there if you want to go with me.’ She showed up the next day with her passport, a few comfy clothes, and a determination I haven’t seen since I helped Wally catch his Ralts.” I huffed and laid with my head in his lap, finally noticing that he had kept his black t-shirt on but didn’t ask. He’d take it off when he wanted. “I’m gonna give her one of my special Eevee eggs and a set of evolution stones today, by the way. Kinda the frosting on the cake.”

“‘Special?’”

“Like Popsicle?” I nodded as Hazel released her Glaceon, who appeared slightly paler than normal, and the Ice type bounded onto my stomach when it saw me. It nuzzled me, making me giggle, before bouncing off to play with Umbreon and Syl, his sire. Caramel shifted away from Hazel’s side to make sure the growing scuffle didn’t gravitate toward her trainer.

“Woman, we gotta talk ‘bout all o’ these Shinies you keep popping up,” Guzma rumbled as I curled around him to get rid of the chill Popsicle had given me. “What – you gotta hoard of them somewhere?” I smiled sheepishly in his lap and told him about how I had bred Syl until I had sixteen Shiny Eevee pups. Eight for me and eight to give away to others. Then I’d gotten Syl neutered and he was no longer a breeding Pokémon.

“To be fair,” Blue said, holding a finger up when Guzma went to say something. “Akara vets anyone that adopts the Pokémon she breeds. They never go to a bad home, but if she finds out they’re being mistreated, she takes the Pokémon back.” His eyes lit up as he noticed the Luxury Ball I’d pulled out and was rolling on my stomach. “Man, there was one time – she found out this lil kid was abusing this Houndour she had bred for one family. Oh, my Arceus! Akara showed up there with the pup’s mother Mega-Evolved and almost burned their house down!” The Kanto Champion looked at me with pride as I blushed and scratched my cheek. Guzma looked down at me and I felt my blush intensify.

“I knew the parents. They were good trainers and wanted a Houndour for their kid.” I held up the Luxury Ball as it warmed under my palm. “But, when the parents weren’t home, the kid would drag the poor pup when it wouldn’t walk on the leash. People were reporting that the poor babe had bloody paws and legs and was getting aggressive towards the kid. I had to take it back!”

“The kid’s parents had no idea?” Guzma asked incredulously.

“Not a fuckin’ clue, babe.” I kissed the Luxury Ball and let it rest in my bag again. “The kid told them that the Houndour was just clumsy and running in their rose bushes. Delila was so pissed - She wouldn’t listen to me at all!”

Suddenly, the two Grunts that came with Plumeria streaked by screaming, a flock of Wingull hot on their heels. I glimpsed one of them holding a small basket of fries and cracked up.

“Guzma, go help your children!”

He was already half up when I sat up and chased them, telling them to drop the fries. Eevee and Plumeria returned as Blue, Hazel and I tried to not piss our pants laughing and this six foot five man screaming at the two teenagers to release the fries.

The basket of fries went flying and the Wingull followed it, but the two women screamed in laughter with us at seeing the two Grunts and Guzma spattered in white. I grabbed my personal bag and three towels as I led the trio towards the showers. I handed them a bottle of shampoo I’d happened to pack at the last minute and stood near the stall doors snickering while they cleaned up.

The female Grunt, Aliyah, didn’t want to touch the mess in her hair, so I ended up in the stall with her and scrubbing her hair with my nails. Guzma and the male, Leo, couldn’t get a few spots on their backs so I helped them out, too.

Leaving the shower stalls, Guzma tossed his black shirt and kept the towel around his shoulders. He gave me an unsure look as he held the towel tightly, but I just grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, leading him down back to our group.

“Thanks, Skull Momma!” Leo yelled as he and Aliyah went to get more food. Guzma spluttered and turned red in embarrassment.

“Get the To-Go box this time! The one with the lid!” I called after them, not the least bit perturbed at the new nickname, and sat back down. Guzma slowly lowered his towel. I kept my eyes locked on Blue and Hazel, shaking my head minutely when Hazel opened her mouth to say something.

She’s always been a mothering type, so I knew seeing Guzma’s scars would trigger her instincts, but she knew to leave it alone. Blue said something about going swimming as he got up, helping Hazel, and leading her toward the water with Caramel the Audino in tow. Red joined them a moment later.

Plumeria nodded at me before nudging Eevee and taking her over to the food stands for something extra.

“I guess Red’s done cleaning out the Beach Trainers’ wallets!” I said with a smile, but it fell when I heard Guzma let out a heavy sigh and pulled up the towel again, keeping his head down. “You okay, Guz?”

“They left because they saw my back…”

“They did not.”

“Why’d they leave right when I took the towel off, then?”

“Probably because they don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” He rolled his eyes and held the towel tighter. “For real, they don’t care about them.” Guzma raised an eyebrow as he looked at me from the corner of his silver eyes. “Well, they do, but it’s not because they think they’re ugly.”

“Then why’d they leave?”

“Cuz Hazel is a bigger Mother Hen than I am, especially now that she’s pregnant.” I looked out to the water and pointed at the Polyamorous trio in the surf. “Notice how she hovers around them even though she’s half their size and can barely waddle around?” He nodded, still looking unconvinced. “Hazel’s had to deal with the three of us either hurting ourselves or each other since Red threw our battle and basically gave me the Championship in Kanto; which is why I didn’t try to keep my Kanto or Johto titles like I did for Hoenn.” I waved him off when he turned to fully face me with obvious confusion on his face.

“She’s had to take care of Blue and I after we started bar fights in almost every city and town, Blue and Red when they’d actually come to blows with each other… I can’t tell you much she fussed over me after Ruby, my Rival in Hoenn, and I went against Team Aqua and Magma.” I chuckled as Caramel actually used Protect on Hazel when the two wandering Champions got too close to her with their rough housing. “She was absolutely inconsolable when she got to the hospital, wailing like I’d actually gotten hurt.”

“You didn’t?”

“Nothing but a few bumps and bruises, to be honest. It was more for observation to make sure we weren’t affected by Kyogre and Groudon’s Primal Reversion. Ruby and I’s room was full of flowers from Archie and Maxie.” Wrapping an arm around Guzma’s back, I leaned my head onto his shoulder. “If anything, Blue would’ve said you look like a badass Arcanine and Hazel would start crying because she hates seeing people hurt.” I felt him lean his head against mine and sigh heavily. “If you’re not comfortable showing them outside our house, that’s fine, but this is the last group of people that would judge anyone’s scars.”

It was a few minutes of sitting in silence until Guzma took the towel off. He was still stiff as a board and he took one of his anti-anxiety pills, but he eventually relaxed as everyone sat back down.

 

Third POV

A few hours later, after sunset, the BBQ was in full swing. Akara had given Eevee the egg and she’d actually cried on her friend’s shoulder. The waterworks only got worse when she saw the small mark Akara would put on eggs she knew would hatch into Shiny Pokémon and the full set of evolution stones to pick from when the Pokémon wanted to evolve. Plumeria had rounded up Leo and Aliyah and headed back to Po Town after grabbing some extras for the other Grunts. Akara had teased Eevee as Plumeria walked away, noting how Eevee was watching Plumeria’s ass.

While Guzma went to grab some plates, Akara noticed he definitely had a sunburn and Blue was teasing him about being the only native Alolan pale enough to burn, but Red came to his rescue with an elbow to the side that left him wheezing. Akara rolled her eyes at their furious bickering in sign while putting some Aloe lotion on Guzma’s red skin, taking lots of care when she got to his face.

There were flashes every now and then from paparazzi, but they knew better than to come within striking distance of the three Champions. Blue and Akara had a reputation of releasing Arcanine and Delila to chase them away, while Red liked having his Pikachu use Flash on the crowd, then Thunder Wave to fry the circuits in their equipment.

As it was, the only Pokémon she had out was Kyogre because it’d been awhile since they’d just been in the ocean without a reason. Red had said Pikachu out as a warning to the ‘razzi, the feisty mouse Sparking at the cameras when one of the reporters got too close. Guzma had actually let Golisopod out and he seemed smitten with Kyogre. Said bug was currently with Kyogre beneath the waves so it was a relatively quiet affair as we all relaxed on the beach.

“How do y’all deal with that all the time?” Guzma scowled at the cameras and gave them the finger when a round of flashes went off. “I would’a punched one o’ these jerks by now, but y’all’ve been doin’ it for years!

“Well, we do that, usually. They can’t use any photos with profanity in them even if they crop it out. Akara, Red, and I actually have shirts with ‘FUCK’ on them just for situations like this. Kinda impractical for a beach day, though,” Blue said as he sat down with a second plate for himself and Red. He rolled his eyes with a smile as he heard Akara coo adoringly at Hazel’s stomach from a little ways away. The guys were sitting separate from the girls so they could catch up, even if Akara felt bad for leaving Guzma to the wolves. “You’re lucky you won’t have to deal with any rumors about who the parent of your Soul Mate’s kids are.”

“Neither of us have a second mark, so I’d hope not.”

“Not what I mean, man.” Blue motioned over Akara as she told her unborn niblings of all the ways she’d spoil them. “I’ll only tell ya this cuz I doubt Squirt will, but Akara doesn’t want kids.”

Guzma froze mid-bite as he absorbed the information. He looked over to Red who nodded as he munched on some macaroni salad. He proceeded to tap Blue on the shoulder and sign for a few moments before Blue turned to Guzma with an “ah.”

“Alright, so Red says Akara doesn’t want kids despite being really good with them, which since I’m sure you’ve seen her with Sol you know is true, she’s afraid she’ll be a bad parent.”

“That’s a load off cuz I don’t want any brats of my own, either…” Guzma trailed off, hand reaching over his shoulder to feel one of his scars. “But she’s like perfect parent material!”

“Back in the day, she wasn’t, bro.” Blue took a bite of his ribs before finishing his thought. “None of us were, really. Hell, more than once Red had to pull the two of us out of a bar where we’d not only gotten black out drunk, but started a huge fist fight in the bar. Akara will be the first to tell you that she isn’t perfect.”

“Akara used to be very reckless when it came to her own safety,” Red signed, Blue translating. “Towards the end of her time as Hoenn Champion, she’d push herself to the brink on Mt. Silver training her Pokémon and, more than once, we’d end up having to stage interventions or take her to the hospital. You’ve also probably never seen her when her panic gets the best of her.”

“She’ll also tell you that she regrets even taking time to earn her titles in Johto and Kanto,” Blue supplied. “Despite literally being less than an hour or two flight away from home at any point while she was in Kanto or Johto, she didn’t go home to visit Sol as much as she wanted to and still blames herself for missing a few things.”

“Yes! Auntie is gonna breed you the most perfect shiny Pokémon I can and I’m gonna hatch it for you! Yes I am!” They all turned at the sound of Akara’s baby talk. Hazel and Eevee where giggling at her as she laid on her side to almost curl around the pregnant woman. “My mommy with finally leave me alone with these two coming!”

“But Akara’s retired now. How would she miss anything?” Guzma asked, taking a bite of his own ribs on his plate.

“She’ll feel the pull of wanderlust and want to travel again.” Blue said, watching Kyogre and Golisopod surface in the waves. “Even Red and I get it sometimes, but it’s easier since one of us stays with Hazel. We almost never get the urge to travel now, but that might because it’s getting so close to Hazel’s due date.”

__

_“When she gets the urge, Akara can be gone for months at a time with her Pokémon. She’ll only stop back home to do laundry and that’s if she runs out of that eco-friendly soap she carries around.”_ Red stopped signing as Eevee and Akara squealed at feeling the twins move in their mother’s belly. _“She loves being alone in nature, the challenge of it. With the twins coming and you being in her life, she might settle down a little, but if she gets the urge to travel she’ll go.”_

Guzma put his garbage in the bag they brought with them and pet Golisopod as he laid down next to him.

“So she’ll just… Abandon people if she wants to explore?” He turned to look at the three women talking about the possibility of a baby shower, lump forming in his throat.

“No, no! Nothing like that! She’ll still text and call everyone as much as normal, but she’ll let you know if she gets the pull again. She won’t just walk out on you, man. Talk to her when we get home. She’ll get where you’re coming from.”

Akara soon returned Kyogre to their Master Ball while Eevee helped Hazel up, the mother-to-be yawning and rubbing her stomach.

“Guess it’s time to go! Mommy’s tired!”

The guys started packing things up and in no time, they were on their way back to the house. Akara squeezed Guzma’s hand while they walked, giving him a questioning look as they walked.

“Later,” he whispered, kissing her forehead and turning his gaze back ahead.

 

Akara’s POV

Guzma seemed off after he’d sat with Red and Blue while I caught up with Hazel and gushed over my niblings. He’d gone straight to our room after we got home after nodding a goodnight to everyone and I was worried I’d pushed him too far. After Red assured me the little family was all set for the night, I followed Guzma’s example and went upstairs.

The bedroom was empty, but the bathroom door was open with steam spilling out into the room. I knocked on the door before pushing it open slowly and walking in. Guzma was facing the wall of the shower, leaning against it with his arms, head down and body blurred by the texture and color of the glass. I sat on the counter and tapped the glass gently with a nail to let him know where I was in the room.

It was quiet as we just sat in silence with the steam swirling around the room. I was chewing on my bottom lip when he finally said something and it startled me so much, I ripped a bigger chunk of “dead” skin from my lip than I’d wanted.

“You wouldn’t just… Up’n leave… Right?”

I gave his blurred form a look as I tried to suck the blood from my now bleeding lip. Where the fuck did this come from?

“What did those two say?”

“They said ya used to disappear for months and rarely came home.” I saw his shoulders heave with the deep sigh he let out. “That ya like to be away from people.”

“Well, that’s why I had the house built here. Less people, more nature, and close to Sol.” I shifted closer to the glass wall and leaned my head against it. “But this isn’t about that, is it, Bone Daddy?”

“They said ya wouldn’t just disappear; that ya’d tell me and keep talkin’ to people, but…” He growled a little and slammed a fist into the tile wall weakly. “I’s stupid, forget it.”

“Uh-huh…” I gave his silhouette a skeptical look before getting up and opening the shower door. Guzma whipped around, almost slipping and busting his ass, giving me a red faced look of confusion. I didn’t even care that I was getting wet from rogue sprays of water and, though it registered that Guzma was naked, it wasn’t a priority. “I thought we had the conversation where I told you that how you feel is valid.”

“It’s just that, like, who am I to tell ya that ya can’t go? Or ask ya to stay?” He fisted his hands in his hair and tugged on it. “I couldn’t even finish my own Island Challenge and I’ve barely helped with Po Town… I’m all scarred up, too, so it’s not like you got something nice to come home to – Ah! What the fuck?”

I dropped the washcloth that I’d used to snap him right on the stomach with, stepping into the shower as I crowded him into a corner. My golden ember eyes were reflected in his pools of molten silver and I was momentarily amused that he was intimidated by someone my height, but didn’t let it show.

I was gonna let Delila loose on Blue tomorrow for making him feel this way.

“You are my Soul Mate. You can ask me for anything.” My eyes focused on his face and nowhere else as I brought my hands up to cup his square jaw. “If you wanted me to stay or wanted to come with me, I’d listen. I wouldn’t just fuck on off to who knows where without telling you or thinking of how that would make you feel, Guzma.” Both of his hands came up to cover mine as he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to mine in a Hongi, body relaxing like I’d just taken the world off of his broad shoulders. “We are Yin and Yang. Darkness and Light. Sun and moon light. I wouldn’t be whole if you weren’t with me, babe.”

“Ya did jus’ fine without me till ya came to Alola.”

“You were still with me through the bond,” I said while tapping his cheek lightly. A smirk spread across my lips as I finally let my eyes wander down to see all of him under the water. I licked my bottom lip as I followed the journey of a water droplet down his abs. “The physical part of you is just a very, very nice perk.”

This seemed to snap Guzma out of the small daze he was in to notice he was naked with me in the shower just in my red swimsuit and we were both soaking wet. His face burned red again, but before he could start stuttering I kissed him soundly on the mouth. I sucked on his bottom lip with a quiet moan, giving it a small nip before I moved away. His pupils were blown a little too wide for the lighting of the room and I watched his tongue as he licked his lips, eyes focusing on the glint of the gold barbell.

“How about you finish washing off so I can get in, huh?”

“Why dontcha jus’ join me, Princess? Got plenty of room in here.” I hummed at the low rumble of Guzma’s voice as goose bumps spread from my scalp to my toes. I gasped when he brought his head down to whisper, lips grazing the shell of my ear. “I can help with all those… hard to reach places.”

“Playing with fire, Bone Daddy. Not sure we’re ready for that, yet.” I bit my lip when I felt him getting hard against my hip. Guzma dropped his forehead to my shoulder and groaned obnoxiously, making me laugh. “Believe me, I don’t like saying ‘no’ about this, either.”

“Then why are you?” he whined. One of his hands went between my shoulders to push my chest to his and the other grabbed my ass. We both moaned as he squeezed a cheek and pulled my hips against him, grinding himself against me a little. “I’m fuckin’ dyin’ here, Princess.”

“Hey! I’m saying ‘no’ to sex, not messing around. I just don’t feel like busting ass while we fuck around in the bathroom! You finish up in here so I can have my turn and we’ll see where things go after.” I untangled myself from him gently and sauntered out of the room, laughing at his disgruntled face.

Ten minutes passed and Guzma all but threw me back in the bathroom once he got out. I made sure to take my time while I was in there. Besides the usual body and hair washing, I changed all my body jewelry so they all matched, shaved what needed to be shaved, and made sure to use my favorite hemp lotion on my skin. I couldn’t help but giggle at the groan Guzma let out when he heard my electric toothbrush turn on.

“Careful. People might think the Big, Bad Boss is a little thirsty!” I said while turning off the bathroom and bedroom lights, conveniently placed next to the bathroom door.

“Cuz I **am** , Princess! Ain’t fucked in over a year and ya hand only gets ya so… far… Holy shit…” Guzma propped himself up on his elbows to get a better look as I leaned against the doorway. His eyes looked black as he took in my form – a simple black cotton thong paired with a tight camisole of the same color. I watched his eyes pause on my chest, probably noticing the nipple piercings through the thin shirt, before they dragged down my legs. “God damn, Doll…”

Despite having flings in the past, just the prospect of messing around with Guzma set my body on fire. By no means was I a virgin and I knew he wasn’t, either, but I’d wager that the anticipation was a combination of the fact that he was my Soul Mate and his arousal was leaking through the Bond, feeding my own.

The fact that he'd, apparently, just dried off, lit a few candles on the end tables, and laid down in bed without putting anything on could also be a small factor. Even though there was nothing small about this man.

Knowing about his frenum piercings before hand didn't prepare me for seeing them when his cock was fully erect. Or, at least, I hope it was - his tip covered his navel and he looked wider than average.

Guzma was no longer the thirstiest bitch in the room.

I shoved off the door and stalked toward him, keeping my eyes locked on his even as I crawled up the bed over him and left open mouthed kisses from his navel to his neck.

Guzma moaned as I started sucking and nipping on his neck with one of my hands cradling the back of his head. I groaned into his neck when I felt his hands slide up my thighs and grab my ass. Fuck, it felt so good to have his hands on me. 

My lips came off his neck with a small pop and made their way to his mouth. Our teeth clashed before tongues started to wrestle for dominance. I'd like to say I let Guzma win, but that's not the case.

With a growl he ripped his mouth from mine and flipped us over, grinding his hips against mine. The noise that came from my mouth would make a Porn Star proud as my hands gripped his shoulder.

"Who's thirsty now, Princess?" Guzma rumbled in my ear before giving my neck the same treatment I had given his. I knew I'd have huge marks to show for it with all the teeth he was using, but I loved that I'd be covered in them. My neck was so sensitive! Everything he did felt like it was going straight between my legs. "Don't know whatcha expected comin' out in this itty bitty thong, Baby."

"This is totally fine - aaahh!" He started grinding himself against me and his piercings were, somehow, hitting my clit through my panties. My thighs tightened around his hips and I buried my head in his shoulder with a hiss. "Mmmmoh my fuck, Guzma!"

"You're so easy to rile up," he chuckled against my skin, licking over the large hickey he'd left. "Can't wait to hear the sounds ya make when my dick's actually inside ya."

One of his hands was under my shirt and palming one of my breasts, a thumb teasing the piercing. While I was never really one for boob play, I arched up against his touch and sighed at just feeling his skin of his hand. I pushed Guzma away just enough to pull the camisole off and throw it somewhere. 

Fuck me, I really was a thirsty mother fucker, wasn't I?

That was enough time for him to steal a nipple into his mouth while continuing to pinch and tease the other. The whole time he played with my chest, Guzma never stopped thrusting against me and I was a blushing, stuttering, shaking mess by the time he was satisfied with playing with my chest.

He started kissing down my torso, taking a moment to kiss around my belly ring, before he started pulling down my thong. I sat up on my elbows and reached for his face when he started kissing my inner thighs, stopping him momentarily.

"Y-you - for fuck's sake I can't talk." I dragged a hand over my face before finishing my thought. "You don't have to go down on me if you don't want to, babe."

"Oh, I want to, Princess." Guzma's hands came around the outside of my thighs and spread my legs. He placed an open mouth kiss on my mons right above my slit and I felt a new wave of Butterfree in my stomach. "I'm gonna eat this pussy so good you won't remember your own fucking name."

Guzma didn't wait for a reply, pulling my thighs wider and using them to pull my lips right to his mouth. He didn't start slow, either. I had to bite my hand to stop the loud moan that erupted from my throat when he used his tongue to split my labia and give me a hard lick all the way to my clit.

"Oh, baby." I could feel the vibration of his voice against everything when he spoke. "Your clit is so tiny," he paused to give a strong suck to it which made my legs shake and my back arched off the bed. "And you're so fucking wet! I've barely touched ya and you're already a mess!" 

And I knew it. Between handling everything I was for Po Town and getting ready to move to Alola, I hadn't done more than, literally, rub a quick orgasm out every now and then. I hadn't even used any toys on myself in months! I could feel that familiar ball of tension forming and I was all to ready to let it burst.

I was gasping and moaning around my hand as Guzma tongue fucked my opening, curling his tongue so the ball on his tongue piercing rubbed against my walls. His hands had moved to my hips to stop me from riding his face, but I was so close to the Big O I didn't care if I'd have bruises. He turned to focus on my clit when he felt my legs shake and it was only a few swipes of his tongue and well timed sucks before I saw white and I was done.

Pleasure flooded my body with my back arching off the bed and my legs clenching around Guzma's head and shaking like a new born Deerling's. Guzma was licking everything my body was giving him and the obscene wet sounds only made it better. He didn't stop until he heard me whimper and laid besode me on the bed.

"Holy fucking shit, dude." My hands covered my face as I turned toward him a few moments later. My whole body felt like it was coming down from an adrenaline high, all tingles. "Oh, my Gods."

"I hope tha's a good reaction." I felt Guzma's large hand smooth over my back and his finger card through my long hair, now tangled from all the tossing I'd done while he'd all but destroyed me. 

I tilted my head back to look at him and I was surprised to see that he actually looked worried. I sat up a little to press a kiss to his mouth, moaning when I tasted myself. I parted his lips with my tongue and swirled it around his own, revelling in the deep groan that came from him. I wanted to hear more. I wanted to taste more.

"I want your cock in my mouth," I whispered hotly in his ear, nibbling his earlobe. "I want to choke on it while I swallow your cum, baby." 

I heard a breathy 'oh, fuck' before I leaned into him until he was on his back. Removing his hands from me, I retraced the path my lips had taken when I first joined him on the bed.

I loved feeling his muscles jump as my lips pressed against his skin, especially when I palmed his erection in my hand while I sucked on the skin near his hip. The hiss Guzma made when I actually nuzzled the hair at the base with my cheek was music to my ears.

"You're a fuckin' tease, Princess," he wanted as I lifted his heavy cock off his stomach and trailed my nose along his length. His skin still smelled like the ocean and as my half lidded eyes looked at his face, I wondered if he tasted like it.

Keeping eye contact with him and turning my head slightly, I parted my lips and dragged my tongue slowly from base to his tip. I paused only to give special attention to the piercings, watching Guzma's eyes roll back and his head drop back onto the pillow with a loud throaty moan. Wrapping my kiss swollen lips around his head, I gave a few soft sucks before sliding his dick as far in my mouth as I could. I groaned around the cock in my mouth when I noticed it was only about three quarters of the way down.

"Yes! Oh, f-fuck, babe!" Guzma gasped out as he twisted his hands in my long hair while I pushed myself down his length a little further and allowed myself to choke around his head. His hips jumped against my hands with each contraction on my throat.

I sucked hard as I came back up, making sure my teeth didn't catch on his piercings, and I lessened the pressure when I went back down. I was drunk on the taste of his skin and high off the moans and grunts coming from his throat as I worked myself up to a steady rhythm that soon had Guzma fucking my mouth in a few minutes.

"Fucking shit, yes! Mmmm, ya like suckin' my dick. Don't you?" I hummed affirmatively as he used my mouth. I could only adjust the suction and move my tongue with him holding my head in place, but I fucking loved how he was talking to me. A little degredation goes a long way. "Yea... Baby girl's taking my cock so good!" 

Guzma's orgasm took us both by surprise a few thrusts later. The only warning I got was watching Guzma's eyes suddenly roll back into his head as his jaw dropped open to let out a very loud moan, but I moaned as I felt his cum cover my tongue and sucked his twitching cock until he tugged me away from it. He was salty, but there was an underlying sweetness. Probably from the amount of Tapu Cocoa he drank.

I panted with my mouth open for a moment, showing him all of the cum on my tongue, then swallowed and laid my head on his thigh. We both just laid there catching our breathe for probably ten minutes before he broke the silence.

"Suh - sorry for not tellin' ya I was cummin'." Guzma pet my hair as I lifted my head to look at him. I could barely see the dusting of blush on his cheeks in the candle light. "Shoulda said somethin' before I just bust a nut in ya mouth. Showin' me was pretty fucking hot, though."

"Spitters are quitters," I muttered as I crawled up to the head of the bed after Guzma blew out the candles. He pulled the blankets over us as we got comfortable and tugged me against his chest, both of us suddenly exhausted. "Besides, you taste fucking delicious. I can't wait to have more."

"Ugh, fuck. Don't talk like that, Princess." Guzma held me closer and filled my head up to give me a lingering kiss and a smoldering look. "We'll wake up your friends..."

It was so hard to say no, but the simultaneous yawns we let out said it for us so we settled down and were out within a few minutes. 

I still can't remember a night where I'd slept so well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its been a while since I wrote anything NSFW, so I apologise if it's terrible.
> 
> I TRIED, THEREFORE NO ONE SHOUKD CRITICIZE ME!
> 
> (Actually, feel free to. I like knowing how to improve)


	10. Nasty Plot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pissing off someone who tamed a Legendary should be very low on your list of priorities.

Despite having the best night’s sleep I’d had in recent memory, I was grumpy as fuck the following morning. Blue had decided that dumping a five gallon bucket on Guzma and I after screaming “WAKE UP, SLUTS!” was a great way to wake us up. I’d shrieked and flailed so hard I fell out of my bed and got tangled in the blankets, which dragged Guzma down on top of me.

After pulling on one of Guzma’s shirts and the thong from last night, I’d chased that shithead around the property until I’d managed to throw him into the pond that I had for my Water Pokémon. Aurorus helped by standing in the water until it was freezing cold, but Red dragged his Rival turned Lover out before he could get hypothermia. Spoil sport…

Just to show that I didn’t actually want him dead, I’d released Delila out to warm him up. The Houndoom loved Blue since he’d spoiled her with PokéBlocks when she was a Houndour, which helped me when I entered her in the Beauty Contests in Hoenn, so she was more than happy to jump into his lap when he got out of the shower, spaded tail wagging so hard she was wiggling.

Now, as Guzma was showing the visiting trio around Ula’Ula for me, I was standing in the PMC of Po Town with Kahuna Nanu, Plumeria, and Eevee on a conference call with the Tourist Committee of Alola. None of us were looking happy as a few Grunts watched us from the door and I’m sure my Chronic Bitch Face™ was worse than usual.

The idea of turning Shady House into a Battle Mansion was shot down by the Tourist Committee because they already had the Battle Tree on Poni Island. Their reasoning is what struck a cord and my face turned into a nasty snarl.

_“Between the Pokémon League, Battle Tree on Poni Island and Lusamine assured us that we wouldn’t need a Battle Mansion with the consistent flow of tourism from Aether Paradise. With tourists coming from Aether to see the islands, we don’t see a need to have tourists to go out of their way for another attraction.”_

“Fuck that bitch,” I muttered under my breath, making Nanu nudge me as I passed him despite the smirk on his face. He knew that I hated the former CEO that had used Team Skull. He also knew that, if I had a glass of water and Lusamine was on fire, I’d drink the water and watch her burn.

“But this isn’t **just** about tourism! This was to open the town back up to the public so some of these kids could get jobs and maybe do something with their lives!” Eevee put a calming hand on Plumeria’s shoulder. The pink haired woman was possibly the only one more upset than me at this point. “You take this away and we have to start from square one!”

_“I’m sorry, Miss, but it’s been decided.”_

“Hang on a moment, here. Maybe there’s something else we could do with this place.”

Nanu’s voice faded out as I continued to pace. I was surprised at the fact that he wasn’t acting like this was a hassle, but I knew he wanted what was best for this place and the kids in it; including Guzma and Plumeria.

Then, it hit me like a Take Down. I knew what we could do!

“A Contest Hall. We could change the mansion into a Contest Hall!” The three adults turned to me as I walked back over. “There aren’t any here in Alola and I know dozens of other Master Rank trainers who would love to come to the region to start a new Contest Committee!”

_“And they would be, Ma’am?”_

“Myself, for one. I hold Master Ranks in all five classes, with two members of my Champion Team holding Beauty Ranks.” I ran my thumb over Kyogre and Auron’s Pokéballs fondly. “I can get Diana from Kalos and May from Hoenn to come for the opening day, we can source décor from local merchants, and I’ll personally see to covering the costs of changes to the renovations and additions to the Shady House alongside vetting Judges for each Rank and Class.”

“Other Champions like Red and Blue would come, too!” Eevee piped in. “They came to watch Akara and their Mate, Hazel, all the time! Even Steven Stone would show up and compete sometimes.”

We were all silent as the committee put us on mute while they deliberated. I smacked Eevee’s hand at the same time Plumeria hit her shoulder when she started to chew a nail. Nanu also looked uncharacteristically on edge, tapping his foot and crossing his arms. It felt like an hour before the sound suddenly came through the phone on the counter.

 _“After some consideration, we’ve decided to grant this request.”_ I could hear the Grunts outside the doors cheer as the other two women threw their hands up in a silent cheer with me. _“We only have one request, Champion.”_

“Eh… Yes?” My hands dropped down slightly as I looked at the phone hesitantly.

_“All construction on the Shady House will be finished by the original deadlines and the former members of Team Skull will be personally responsible for the environment.”_

“That’s it?” I deadpanned. Eevee elbowed me hard enough to make me grunt. “I mean, that’s no problem at all!” I mouthed ‘ow’ at her while I held my side.

 _“It’s a deal, then! We await a contract outlining the materials, new deadlines, Contest Committee, and Judges. Alola!”_ When the four of us adults finally relaxed, the Grunts came swarming in to congratulate us. Us being Nanu, Eevee, and Plumeria, mostly. I was able to sneak out of the door and step outside.

I sat down on one of the benches that had been put in on the walkways and sighed, leaning my elbows on my knees. I sighed heavily and looked up at the midday sun, just enjoying the sunshine that had been blocked from Po Town for so long.

“Guess it’s time to resurrect the Greatest Show Unearthed!”

 

 

“Thanks again, May! You know more Judges than I do, so this is a big help… I’ll send you your flight and accommodation info once the construction is done… Three months, at most… Okay… You, too, Sweetie!” Rotom ended the call and disengaged from the Pokédex, diving into the bowl of Pokébeans I had on the table for him. Poor thing’s batteries had to be dying with all the work we’d been doing.

Eevee had stayed behind in Po Town to spend some time with Plumeria, who wanted to start off as friends instead of just jumping into romance, but she’d emailed me a list of people she found in the contest community when I’d gone back home to start the madness that was Phone Tag.

I’d been calling everyone I could remember that had a decent reputation to come to the opening of the new Contest Hall for the past hour. Rotom and I were exhausted, so he got a full bowl of patterned beans for his hard work. May was the last on our list and she was going to ask around in the Lilycove Hall and have her father, Gym Leader Norman, spread the word. Right now I was thankful for the friends I’d made in Hoenn, even if May started off as more of a wanna-be Rival in Contests.

In between calls, I’d found the recordings of all the Contests I’d entered, but now I could focus on them and take notes. Speaking with the other Master Ranked trainers, we’d decided that we’d have one Contest just for us to hype up the opening of the new Hall, so now I was trying to decide on the two Pokémon I’d use. I cringed through the first few, but with Rotom’s help, I had a routine planned and a team picked in a few hours.

I was flipping through a thick, old leather bound book with the Fire Type symbol embossed on the cover – my old Contest Grimoire, as Steven had called it. I kept switching between Delila’s page, marked with a Master Beauty Ribbon, and Mundus the Mismagius’ page, which had no Ribbon. I could never actually get him to win when it was just him, but he was a fantastic support Pokémon for Delila. They’re typing was complementary and they fit the aesthetic of my Champion outfit, as well. I just had to change the top to a purple one and it’d be perfect.

I’d rescued Mundus as a Misdreavus from a few rogue Team Magma grunts. They’d been having their higher level Pokémon attack the poor thing because it was too weak, in their opinion. On top of the beat down I’d put them through with Delila, Maxie had been furious and went after them himself. As a result, Mundus had bonded with Delila more than any of my other Pokémon and he was shy without her around, but put them in a battle or contest together and the power was explosive!

When I felt lips on my neck, I jerked away so fast and hard that I almost fell out of the chair. Turning towards the offender, I relaxed seeing Guzma holding a bag of malasadas in hand and smirking at me.

“Fucking Hell, Guzma!” I groaned into my hands while he chuckled and pulled me into his chest. I took off my glasses, which I’d forgotten I had on, and put them on the table as I leaned into his embrace. “I need a fucking bell for you, Jegus!”

“Not my fault ya didn’t hear us come in, Princess. Looks like ya got sucked into…” He waved a hand to the papers and books that covered the table. “Whatever the hell all this is.”

“Is that your old Grimoire?” Hazel said as Red and Blue helped her sit down at the table. She picked up one of the rough sketches I’d done of the new floor plans for the Shady House, eyes widening with an excited smile when she realized what she was looking at. “No!”

I started picking up my mess, organizing it back into the chaos that was my filing system until only the Grimoire and rough blueprints were left. Said blueprints showed a domed extension behind the house that went through where the boarder wall used to be. Blue leaned over Hazel’s shoulder to take a look while Red and Guzma got out some paper plates for dinner and I released Delila from her Luxury Ball.

Per her M.O., Delila greeted me with the smallest of licks to the cheek (more of a blep, really), then bounded over to her favorite Uncle while I pulled out the large tablet I’d used to show the Guzma and Plumes the original plans. Rotom jumped from the Pokédex to the tablet as I laid it in the middle of the table, immediately finding the file Steven Stone had sent me about an hour ago and projecting a 3D model of the exterior of the new Shady House design. Hazel squealed loudly, clapping her hands and bouncing in her seat as she took it all in.

“The Tourism Committee shot down the Battle Mansion idea, so I ended up spitting out the first idea that came to mind; a Contest Hall.” I took a few bites of my malasada as Rotom displayed the virtual tour of the four story glass atrium that would become the main stage behind the Mansion. “They accepted it on the grounds that all construction is finished by the original deadlines and that the Grunts keep from Po Town to Ula’Ula Meadow clean.”

The atrium would need supports in the ocean, as it extended far past the cliff’s edge behind the town and Steven had decided they would set it lower in the ground, giving it a basement. It would be as wide as the mansion with two stories of bleachers for spectators, soundproof green rooms for participants beneath those, and the large dome would be made of treated glass so the ceiling changed colors like an Aurorus Sail.

A food court would replace the old pool and extend to half the length of the atrium while the original mansion would be used to house special guests and contestants. Plumeria obviously had a permanent room since she was in charge of the Grunts that would be the main staff, but she’d also be in charge of the special effects of the Contests such as lights and music with a few of the older Grunts to help.

“That’s gonna be close to impossible, Squirt.” I focused my gaze so I could see Blue through the hologram. Bless him, he actually looked concerned while he leaned around the Houndoom in his lap. “Three months to get all of that done?”

“Stone is coming to personally oversee everything while I prepare with the other Masters.” I leaned against Guzma’s side and sighed. I felt so tired; I’d been working on this for hours. “The lovely lady in your lap will be returning to the stage with Mundus opening night.”

Blue started fussing over Delila, whom he loved watching perform, while we finished our dinner. Finally, Red asked the dreaded question over Blue’s baby talk.

_“Why was the Battle Mansion dismissed?”_

“Lusamine.” The room went silent as I stood up from the table to get some of the malt liquor from the fridge and took a huge pull from the bottle. “She told the Committee that Alola didn’t need another Battle Mansion because Aether would basically trickle down their tourists to the islands.”

“Madam Prez wouldn’t say that. She **knows** how much Po Town and the kids need it!” Guzma slammed his hands on the table, making everything on it jump, disbelief and anger clear on his face. “Someone else had to of-"

“Gladion might be the CEO, but Lusamine still has a lot of support from Aether’s Board of Directors.” Four sets of eyes followed me as I sat back down. “Until Gladion gets a new Board, she’s still calling the shots and I know for a fact that Gladion was all for the Battle Mansion.”

“She wouldn’t say no. I know her! Lusamine wouldn’t jus' cockblock somethin' this important.” Alright, time to nip this delusional shit in the bud before I end up saying something I regret.

“Did she tell you that going through the Ultra Wormhole could kill you or your Soul Mate?” I leaned my chin on my hand and tapped the table with my nails, waiting for Guzma’s answer with a stoic face. I raised an eyebrow when he stuttered. “No? M’kay, well, did she tell you that, once someone is no longer useful to her, she’ll just toss ‘em aside?”

“T-that was cuzza Nihilego. Before that, she wouldn’t have just forgotten me!” Guzma tried to defend her, but his tone was accusatory and I knew better. Red, sensing the tension, led his partners out of the room when I sat up straight to look mine in the eye. “Anyway, how the hell would that’ve hurt ya? Sure, the mark faded while I was there, but it wasn’t nothin’ that woulda killed me.”

“I’m not surprised she didn’t explain it, the selfish cunt, so I will.” I squared off with Guzma, pinning him with my gaze. “If a Soul Mate bond is stressed too much, it breaks. This is usually caused by stress or abuse, but you literally went to another dimension and the bond was almost destroyed. I don’t remember anything that happened to me besides the pain, but I woke up in the hospital a week later with a raw throat, a concussion, a few nails ripped or split, and physical damage to the arteries around my heart.” His face turned ashen and his gazed down to my chest, my heart. “You probably didn’t get any lasting damage because you were possessed by the Nihilego and it healed its host.”

Things were silent for a few moments while the information sunk in. Lusamine could’ve caused the death of two people, one only surviving because of a possession by an Ultra Beast, and she had even attacked Lillie and Sol with the intent to kill while possessed herself. She was more than ready to just let Guzma fend for himself when he couldn’t catch one of the Beasts for her.

“The ‘Madam Prez’ doesn’t give a single fuck about anyone but herself, Guzma. She never has, never will, and I know that she made you think she cared, but…” I paused as he stood up and walked over to where the shoji were open on the engawa, looking out into the rain that had started while we ate. I gave him a few minutes to process before I joined him, standing just close enough for his t-shirt to brush my arm.

“Was there ever anything she did that contradicted the praise she gave you, Baby? Was there anything she said that just seemed off to you?”

Guzma was quiet for what felt like an hour, but was probably only a few minutes. He sighed heavily and sat down on the engawa, tugging my hand until I was sitting sideways in his lap. I stroked his cheek with my thumb and just leaned my head against his shoulder while he wrapped his arms around me loosely; letting him get his thoughts in order.

“She’d hit me, talk mad shit if I told her we couldn’t do something she’d ask.” My hands stopped moving against his face. “When she figured out tha’ I had the hots for her, she’d uh… She’d make me get her off then just dismiss me. She didn’t care if I finished or not.” Guzma tightened his arms around me when he heard the growl starting in my throat. “More often than not, she’d tie me up and make me eat her pussy till she came, telling me that she didn’t want to get dirt smudges on her clothes n’ skin or she just… didn’t want me to touch her.”

“I’ll fucking kill her…” I snarled the words out, but it was quiet as I held him tightly to me. I’d known she’d been terrible, but I had no idea how far it’d gone.

“That’s not even the worst part… There were times that she’d leave me tied up for hours while she did whatever. Half the time, she sent Wicke or Faba to turn me loose. Obviously, my dick was soft and the mood was ruined so I’d just leave.”

My heart was breaking and my temper flaring at the same time. He sounded so broken; he was so starved for affection in his life he’d looked over the abuse for a few words of praise. I doubt I could take her to court over this, my lawyers were good but not good enough against what she could probably afford, and I knew I couldn’t get away with the same thing I’d done with Guzma’s sperm donor. No matter how good kicking her pasty cougar ass would feel.

“I guess I always knew that she thought nothin’ of me but a quick fuck and a patsy, but I just thought…” His voice cracked and a tear escaped his eye even as he squeezed them shut. I wiped it away with my thumb as my own angry tears formed and turned his face so our foreheads were touching.

“I can’t say that I’ll never say or do something that hurts you because I’m an impulsive bitch and my mouth works faster than I think when I’m mad, but I will never, **ever** hit you out of anger, Guzma.” His eyes opened and my heart all but shattered as I saw the broken hope in the silver pools. “I might say something off hand that stings, but if you tell me I will do my best to not mention it again. I’ll never just use you, either. You’re not just something for me to use. You are too important to me to just throw away and I will destroy anyone that makes you think otherwise.”

His eyes shut again as a sob worked its way out of his mouth, burying his face into my shoulder to muffle the sounds, and I just held him while the rain poured just a few feet away. I felt like I was trying to hold together a shattered piece of porcelain. Guzma had been betrayed by almost everyone he’d trusted, members of Team Skull, Hala, and Sol aside, and he was still willing to give me a chance.

I know myself well enough to say that I’d be fighting tooth and nail against any affection given to me if I’d gone through half of what he’d endured and I counted myself as lucky to have his trust. When thunder started rolling over the island, I managed to get Guzma into bed, wrapping myself around him with his head on my chest while he slept.

I couldn’t, though. I was too angry. Everything I heard about Lusamine was worse than the last and she should consider herself lucky that Lillie and her were in Kanto. If I ever saw her on these islands or learned she was even trying to talk to Guzma again, I guarantee that Looker would be on my ass for murder quicker than Cutieflies on Nectar and I’d fight him, too!

Shortly before the sun came up, I decided that I’d focus on getting ready for the grand opening of the Contest Hall and my relationship with Guzma instead of the many ways I could kill Lusamine and get away with it.

Having a Leviathan of the sea would come in handy if I decided to follow through, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you feel like submitting fan art or anything like that, pop by my Tumblr!  
> http://akarah-sommah.tumblr.com


	11. Dream Eater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Green is not a color that's good on Guzma.

The rest of the week passed relatively uneventfully. Eevee got her starter Pokémon, Popplio, and started on her Trials with Z-Ring in hand and my Polyamorous Trio left to make their home at the Battle Tree. Just like I’d predicted, my mother was over the moon to know that one of her adopted children, Hazel, was having babies and finally left Guzma and I alone about having some of our own. I may have cried when Eevee got her Z-Ring and Popplio, but as another month passed the egg hatched into a Shiny Eevee and she all but flooded me with pictures of herself and her growing Pokémon Team. Guzma had even talked to Molayne, who he used to be friends with during his Trials, about having Eevee’s personal Pokémon storage account linked to mine so she could stop and switch out her Pokémon when she stopped home.

Speaking of my Mate, he was still coming to terms with the fact that Lusamine hadn’t actually cared about anyone but herself. He was having problems sleeping that even I couldn’t help with and we’d tried almost everything.

I’d tried singing any lullabies I knew while we cuddled in bed. He’d spent from dawn till dusk training his Pokémon while I tried to find what was missing in my routine with Delila and Mundus. He’d tried drinking an entire bottle of my good whiskey from Johto (all that did was make him ridiculously frisky), and we’d even had Mundus use Dream Eater on him when he had a nightmare. All that did was make Mundus sick, which was something I’d never seen before.

At least the renovations to the Shady House had been completed before the deadline under Steven Stone’s watchful eye. He’d stopped by one day to just touch base with me and I hadn’t seen him since, only communicating through calls and email. Steven had also taken it upon himself to handle hotel accommodations for all the other Masters I’d invited.

“You have enough on your plate with your routine and your Mate. I’ll handle everything else!”

Steven brought with him a most unexpected visitor when he arrived, as well. His mate, my old friend and the only constant challenger to my Hoenn title – Wally.

I’d been overjoyed to see him after a year and a half and I’d insisted he join Guzma and me for dinner while Steven finalized the interior design of the Contest Hall. He was late, having decided to give us time to catch up and left to visit Plumeria before he arrived, so Wally was helping me with my routine while we waited for Guzma to get home. He had noticed the same things I had; despite Delila and Mundus making an amazing display with very little guidance or interference from me, there was just something missing.

“I really don’t know what it could be, Wally! I’ve even done a run through with Delila Mega-Evolved the whole time, I’ve worn my Champion monstrosity during it – I just can’t figure it out!” I was at my wits end. Delila and Mundus were getting the absolute shit spoiled out of them for all their hard work, but I could tell they were frustrated that I wasn’t happy with their performance, which frustrated **ME** more because they were perfect and it was something in my own damn head that kept seeing something wrong!

“Hmm… I will say that it does look perfect from my standpoint. These two are flawless, as usual,” Wally said while grooming his Gallade, Pride. He’d caught the beautiful boy when I helped him catch his first Pokémon and I was so angry after. His first actual encounter with any wild Pokémon and it was a shiny Ralts. I was screaming for days. “But it almost seems like you’re not into the performance yourself.”

“Maybe…” I sighed as I released my own Gardevoir, Lust. She too was a Shiny, but it had taken me months to find her. Lust cooed and floated over to Pride, cuddling up to her bff like they hadn’t been separated at all. “These two are just so good together for the Cool category.”

“Why not switch to Beauty and use Blaziken instead?”

“Ali and May already called Beauty and you know there’s no switching once they’re dead set on it.”

We sat there in silence while my playlist continued in the background, both of us trying to think of an idea to save the performance. The music jumped from popular pop songs to show tunes and it was helping with the mental flow, but nothing was working. Just as I was about to give up thirty minutes later, _Schwarze Sonne_ by E. Nomine came on.

Lust trilled and tugged Pride up, sweeping him up into what looked like a waltz mixed with a tango. As the two glided across the floor, I tapped the table to get Wally’s attention and tapped my own Mega-Keystone. He nodded with a smile and we both triggered them to Mega-Evolve right at the climax of the song, Pride dropping Lust into a very deep dip when it started and bringing her up when it ended.

As we watched the two Mega-Evolutions sweep around the room dramatically in their new black dominated forms, it hit me. I turned to Wally with wide eyes and mouth slightly open in an ‘o’ and saw the same look reflected on his face. I started the song over and Wally and I got to work.

 

“What the **fuck** is goin’ on!?”

“HAND CHECK!”

I yelped loudly as Wally dropped me mid dip and hissed when I hit the floor with a loud thump. I glared up at the teal haired man and kicked him hard in the shin when I saw his hands held above his head. I rolled over onto my knees while rubbing the back of my head as Guzma walked up to me, looking down at me like I was one of his Grunts that didn’t finish a task he’d told them to do.

“For fuck’s sake, Wally. Ya didn’t have to drop me. That hurt!”

“Sorry! He’s bigger than me!”

“Everyone is bigger than you!”

 **“Princess.”** I looked back up at Guzma and he was standing straight (for once) with his arms crossed, whole body tense. He was using his Boss Voice and oh, Lord Helix, this is not the time for my voice kink to act up. **“Who’s this and why was he touchin’ ya like that?”**

“I-I’m W-wally, sir.” Don’t stutter, man. He can smell fear! “W-we were j-just working on our n-new routine for the grand opening of the C-contest Hall, Sir.”

“‘Our’?” Guzma didn’t even seem to notice the two Mega-Evolutions that had stopped and were actually squaring up behind us. “Last I knew, _MY_ Mate was doin’ a solo act, bub.”

“Yes, OUR routine, Guzma.” I stood up and waved down Lust while she went back to normal, Pride doing the same a second later. “Wally helped me figure out that I needed a whole new routine and it’s gonna involve Pride, Lust, and us dancing to this song.”

Guzma didn’t look convinced so I sat him down at the table, Wally nervously sitting on his left and me on his right. I restarted the song and had the two Pokémon run through the routine we’d covered so far. Guzma had his arm possessively around my waist and glared at Wally the whole time, but I kept turning his attention back to Pride and Lust as they went through their part, Mega-Evolutions included.

“W-we’re going to m-mimic their dance and once we get that down, w-we’ll think of moves to add effects.” Wally let out a terrified squeak when Guzma turned to stare him down again.

“Guzma, enough. Wally’s Mate is Steven Stone and they’re both hella gay, anyway.” Wally nodded vigorously, hands held up in a placating gesture. “I’m surprised you didn’t act this way with Blue – there was actual sexual tension between us, once upon a time.”

“Yea, but Blue didn’t have his hands all over ya like this schmuck did.”

“Excuse us, please, Wally.”

I dragged Guzma out into the yard, closing the textured glass shoji behind us and walked him out to the lone tree. He shrugged out of my hold and leaned against the tree, taking deep breaths. I gave him a few minutes before talking to him again.

“Not that your Boss headspace isn’t sexy, cuz it is and I’m a lil worked up now, but you really don’t have anything to worry about with Wally, Babe.” I started massaging his broad shoulders, the tension in them slowly melting away under my fingers. “The only thing I have with him is one hundred percent platonic. Hell, even Pride and Lust are just friends.”

“I know, I know. It’s just… Ugh.” Guzma sighed and scrubbed his hands through his hair violently. I moved my hands down to his sides, clutching his hoodie. “I’ve always been possessive, ya know? Of course, ya do. I give you a new hickey every fuckin’ night -”

“And I do the same to you because we both love seeing them and knowing that everyone knows we’re taken.”

“But seein’ that scrawny kid holdin’ ya like that jus’…” He turned to face me and gave me a Hongi before kissing the corner of my mouth. I wrapped by arms around his waist and hugged him tightly while he tried to get his thoughts in order. “I jus’ wanted to beat the shit outta him for even breathin’.”

“You felt threatened by it?” I offered and Guzma nodded, arms returning my embrace and burying his face in my hair. “It’s okay that you feel that way, baby, and I know it’s hard to not feel like that after what you’ve been through.”

“Is not fair to you, though, Princess… I can’t dance like that, nowhere even close and ya don’t get all pissy when I’m with Plumes or the girl Grunts are huggin’ me n’ shit.”

“I haven’t had ninety percent of the people that are supposed to care about me unconditionally hurt me or turn out to be using me, either, _Boss._ ” I giggled when he held me tighter and groaned into my neck. “We can’t just make all the insecurity disappear overnight or even a few months. We’re working against a couple decades worth of bad here, Babe. It’s gonna take a while.”

“I’m sorry…”

I pulled away and kissed Guzma’s lips sweetly, framing his face with my hands and rubbing his cheeks with my thumbs.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for and I bet I can teach you to waltz in no time, _Boss_.”

“Swear to the Tapu, you better stop that shit while we got company, woman.”

“Promises, promises.”

 

The rest of the night went smoothly. Guzma even watched Wally and I copy our Pokémon’s movements for the entirety of _Schwarze Sonne_ after he apologized for his hostile behavior, even if it was begrudgingly. We escorted him back to the Shady House and Guzma almost choked when he saw Steven dip Wally almost to the ground for a kiss. I just shrugged gave both men a hug after introductions were made.

Sleep even came easily to Guzma for on the first time in weeks and he was out like a light by the time I got done with my shower. He only moved to spoon me and then he was back to being blissfully comatose. I followed soon after, but only a few hours had passed when my RotomDex woke me up.

I woke up and looked at the screen blearily while it hovered in front of my face before I could see that it was Sol calling. I whispered a “hang on” when I answered, disentangling myself from Guzma and padded downstairs after shutting the bedroom door. After grabbing a glass of water, I sat down next to Ninetails’ bed and took Sol off of mute.

“Whassup, babes?”

_“I know it’s like three in the morning and you’re busy with getting ready for the Contest Hall grand opening coming up but I didn’t know who else to call cuz I don’t wanna tell Mom or Dad yet and I don’t know what to do -”_

“Sol!” My brother finally paused and wasn’t just a blur of panic on Rotom’s screen. His face and eyes were red with tears running down his cheeks. “Deep breathe in for six, hold for four, out for eight. Repeat until your heart rate doesn’t resemble a Zebstrika at full gallop.”

I did the breaths with him until he was calm again, which took a solid five minutes at least. Sol was excitable like any other kid, but he’d even out pace Hau with how fast he was just talking.

“Now, from the top, Ototou. What’s wrong?”

_“I got my Soul Mark today…”_

“But?”

_“I’m afraid they won’t accept me for who I am…”_

“You know who it is, then?” He nodded and rubbed his ribs just under his chest. “Well? Who is it?”

Sol bit his lip as a few more tears leaked out of his eyes before standing to lift up his sleep shirt and turned to the side. In a script that put mine to shame was _Gladion_ and underneath it was _Lillie_. Both were in a very beautiful shade of green that reminded me of fresh leaves in spring.

“Just like Hazel,” I said with a chuckle as Sol sat back down, troubled face back in view. “What’s wrong with having them as Mates? I thought they were your friends, Ototou.”

_“They are, but they don’t know why we left Kanto, Sis! They don’t know that I’m a freak!”_

“Sol, how many times am I gonna have to tell you that you are normal? Just because you don’t identify as your birth gender doesn’t mean you’re a freak.” I hated having this talk with him. It destroyed something inside of me each time he got this upset. “Those bullies in Kanto were wrong and always will be wrong. You’re Alola’s first Champion and you’ve been going back and forth with Hau for the Title every month. You’ve amounted to more than anyone who even tried to talk shit to you.”

_“But their mother wasn’t Lusamine! She won’t let them see me after this! What if she hurts them?”_

“You let me deal with Lusamine, Sol. I already got a problem with how she treated Guzma, so if she even tries to hurt any of you, I’ll have Kyogre drag her down to the bottom of the ocean.” Sol sniffled and rubbed his eyes, giving me a nod and a watery smile. “Now, you have a few Challengers in the morning, right?”

_“Mhmm.”_

“Then I want you to try and get some more sleep now. Focus on your matches tomorrow and worry about talking to Lillie and Gladion after, okay?”

_“Okay, Sissy. Thanks for picking up. I know it’s really late.”_

“I’ll be back to sleep in no time, don’t worry. Sleep well, my Sunflora. I love you.”

_“G’night. I love you more.”_

“I love you most.”

Sol hung up and I slumped against the back of the couch with a tired groan while Rotom floated back upstairs to plug himself back in. I did not want Lusamine part of family gatherings, but I knew Mother wouldn’t tell her no unless she saw her act like the bitch she is, so there was nothing I could do about it now.

As I was putting my now empty glass in the sink, a sudden keening wail made me drop the glass. Rotom came flying back downstairs with a yell of his own a moment after.

“Miztrezz! Come quick! Something’z wrong with Guzzzma! Zzzzt!”

I ran back upstairs to see my Mate struggling on the bed. He kept fisting his hands in the sheets and groaning, head thrashing back and forth with a pained look on his face. Mundus was hovering over his form, inhaling a dark purple substance that came from his eyes and mouth. After a few passes over Guzma, Mundus disengaged and glided towards me looking sick.

“Dream Eater is making you sick…” I looked up from the sick Ghost in my arms to where Guzma was writhing. I grabbed his Love Ball from my dresser and returned Mundus, climbing gently onto the bed. “He’s not having nightmares… He’s having Night Terrors!”

“Nuh-no!” I cringed at hearing Guzma’s teeth grinding against one another as he settled down a little bit. He was soaked in sweat and was breathing heavily.

“Guzma,” I whispered, shaking his shoulder slightly. His eyebrows furrowed further, but he didn’t wake up. I kept shaking him a little harder each time, hoping for him to open his eye. “Come on, Baby. Wake u – Aagh!”

I fell hard onto the floor as I tried to dodge the fist that came toward my face. He’d managed to graze my cheek, right across the bone, but it was still going to leave a mark and he’d blame himself for that when it was just me not being careful enough while trying to wake him up.

“Please! Don’t leave me!”

“Oh, Baby… I’m sorry…” I decided enough was enough and straddled Guzma’s body, trapping his arms with my legs. “This is NOT the right way to do this.” He started to struggle harder right before I delivered a sharp slap to his face.

Guzma’s eyes snapped open with a loud gasp for air as he suddenly sat up, arms wrapping around me like Constrict. I winced but let him come to in his own time. It felt like hours of me whispering sweet things in his ear before his hold loosened and his breathing settled down, but he went back to sleep almost as soon as we’d repositioned so his head was on my chest above my heart.

I did not.

 

“I can’t believe I did that to ya…”

“Auron has literally put me in the hospital. Multiple times. I’ve kept every cast.”

“That’s a Pokémon, not… Not your Soul Mate trying to hurt ya… I’m just like my old man.”

“Like FUCK you are!” I slammed my make-up brush down on my dresser and turned to look at Guzma. He was sitting on the bead with his head in his hands looking utterly defeated. I walked up to him and forced him to look up at me. I felt like I could breathe fire in that moment and it wouldn't surprise me if smoke was curling out of my nostrils. “You are NOT your father and you are NOTHING like him. This was an accident. Do. You. Understand. Me?”

He might have nodded, but he wasn’t looking in my eyes. His guilt-ridden eyes were locked on the bruise on my left cheek bone that had blossomed while he slept. It wasn’t bad to me. Hell, my eye wasn’t even swollen, but to him it was just a reminder of his failure.

“I’m going to research on how I should wake you up from the Terrors today.” I didn’t even flinch when he cupped that cheek with surprising gentleness and grazed his thumb over it. Instead, kissing his palm and pressing it against my face. “I’m pretty sure I’m not supposed to slap you to wake you up.”

“I’m sorry.” It came out as a whisper with a sad smile that barely formed his lips before he pulled me between his legs and buried his face in my stomach. “I’m so fuckin sorry, Princess… So, so sorry.”

I had Rotom cancel my plans for the day and put himself in Do Not Disturb mode after I tossed out a text to Plumeria asking her to come over when she was free. I knew Guzma needed more support than just me right now, but I could hold him together until Plumeria could come.

I did not expect her to run in and throw down a copy of the same tabloid that had run the story claiming I was assaulting senior citizens. I certainly didn't expect to break a glass in my hand when I read the headline that was over a surprisingly clear shot of my face with the new bruise on it.

_LIKE FATHER LIKE SON_

"I want to know who the FUCK is creeping around my house and I want to know NOW!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you feel like submitting fan art or anything like that, pop by my Tumblr!  
> http://akarah-sommah.tumblr.com
> 
> There will be nothing but fluff next chapter I promise!


	12. Transform

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The only constant in this life is that things are consistently inconsistent. Everything is always changing.  
> Sometimes in the blink of an eye, others slow like the Sea beating against a rock.

Delila made short work of finding where a reporter had been camping out on the fringes of my property. There was a hunting blind set up with a cot, a sleeping bag, a cooler, and various two liter bottles filled with urine. Plumeria called Nanu while Rotom flew around inside and out, documenting everything.

I stayed on the engawa section at the front of the house, pacing back and forth like an angry Liepard while on the phone with my agent. My voice was disgustingly calm as I spoke with them and Guzma was watching me wearily from the living room where he was grooming Golisopod. Syl was lying next to him, whining softly as I talked on the phone.

Might’ve been because I haven’t even picked the glass out of my hand from when I broke the cup about an hour earlier. For all his strength, Syl hated seeing blood outside of battle; he’d even fainted when he cut his own paw on a shell a few months ago.

“Rotom will have the photos to you momentarily along with a statement I’m about to make with Kahuna Nanu… Thank you, Grace… Have a good day.” I stayed on the engawa taking the same breathes I’d done with Sol last night, holding the phone against my forehead with my good hand. “In for six… Hold for four… Out for eight… In for six… Hold for eight… out for four -” With a sudden, thunderous snarl that turned into a vicious scream, I whipped the innocent smartphone at the wall as hard as I could. “ _MOTHER OF FUCKING **GOD**_!”

“Mew, Miztrezz?” I turned my blazing gaze from where the phone ninja starred in the wall to Rotom, eye twitching and panting slightly through my nose, and missed Guzma frantically waving his hands and cutting his hand across his throat at the Electric type in the universal sign for ‘enough.’ “E-heh, uh…” I raised an eyebrow and made the ‘well?’ gesture. “I sent the photoz and statementz to Ms. Grace like you azzked, Akara, zzt. Need anything elze?”

“No, that’s all for now.” I leaned my hip against the table that Guzma had my Deluxe Pokémon Refresh kit laid out on and rubbed my uninjured hand over my face, fisting it in my hair and tugging a bit in frustration. Syl rubbed against my legs and used his ribbons to gently tug on the arm I’d wrapped around my waist, reminding me I had to take care of that before it bled anymore. “Go help Rotom get some of the Rainbow Beans from the pantry, Baby Boy. Bring me the jar when you’re done, yea?”

The blue Sylveon gave my forearm a light tap with a stern look on his adorable face before leading the RotomDex into the kitchen. I collapsed behind Guzma, suddenly exhausted even though it wasn’t even noon yet, and leaned against his back with my eyes closed. Focusing on his heartbeat and breathing, I was calmed down by the time Plumeria came back in, but I was still annoyed.

“I moved here to get away from all this shit and it just followed me here.”

“This happened before?” I nodded at Plumes, eyes still closed as I matched my breath to Guzma’s. “People pulled this shit on you back in Hoenn? With your temper?”

“My temper was worse while I was the Hoenn Champion because of shit like this; so was my Pokémon’s.” I cracked an eye open to look at her. “I can’t tell you how many times Syl actually attacked someone when he knew I was being bothered. I had a few suits filed against me for assault, but all of them had done some type of stalking or harassment so once we brought that to light in court, they backed down.”

“Ain’t Sylveon supposed to be all lovey dovey? I can’t imagine his playful lil ass bein’ anything but nice.”

“Sylveon, Umbreon, and Espeon evolve based on Love, so they’re very in tune with their trainer’s emotions. He knew I was steadily getting more and more pissed until he attacked a reporter when he approached me in the street, Love.”

At the sound of his name, Syl came bounding into the room with a large jar of Rainbow Beans wrapped securely in his ribbons. He had a few crumbs around his mouth so I knew he’d helped himself. With a tsk I fussed over him until he ran off, only to come back with the First Aid kit.

“I’ll handle takin’ out the glass, Babe. Plume, can you go get some paper towels and a bowl of warm water?” I barely registered my soon to be Sister-in-Law leaving the room.

I stuck my tongue out when Guzma pulled my hand away from my body to inspect the damage. The whole appendage was covered in blood from my wrist to fingernail and the larger shards of glass could be seen peeking through the cuts on my skin. Most of them were in my palm, but there were some smaller pieces that were in my fingers. When Plumeria set the bowl of warm water down, I extracted my hand from Guzma’s and put it in. It felt like I had millions of paper cuts on my hand and I hissed loudly at the pain, but Guzma and Plumeria were focused on how red the water was getting. It was almost a solid color when I took my hand out and dabbed it dry, watching the small rivulets of blood from deeper cuts appear on my clean skin.

Plumeria made small talk as Guzma used the tweezers to take the glass out of my hand. He was so gentle I barely felt most of them. Plumes showed me some cute selfies she’d taken since I’d last seen her, Eevee and Salazzle her main guests in the photos. What really caught my eye was the photo album titled “Team NumbSkulls.” Tapping it open, I immediately cackled.

At first glance, it looked like a Drag Queen who had thrown all the fucks she’d had to give out of the window. There was stubble and the make-up was so sloppy, a Smeargle could’ve done better. Looking closer, Guzma was revealed as the person under the make-up, looking straight into the camera and as unamused as an Alolan Persian. Nothing on his skin was blended at all.

It was amazing!

“I’ve never seen so much purple!”

“Yea, Guz lost a bet with Aliyah’s lil sis and ended up being the guinea pig for, like, five other girls to try their new make-up. Let me show you how the chandelier fell!”

“Plumes, come on! That shit’s embarrassin’!”

I had hidden my face behind my good hand to try and contain my giggles by the time we got through all one hundred (at least) photos in the folder. Guzma’s face was so red by that time I didn’t even want to tease him. Plumeria didn’t care about the embarrassing pictures of herself and had stories to go with almost every single one in the folder – including miming moves.

“I know I have a vid of Guzma dancing on the bar in here, somewhere.”

“Don’t you **dare**!” Guzma pointed the tweezers at his cousin threateningly after pulling the last piece of glass out of my hand. His face had a lovely dusting of pink on his cheeks. It was quite fetching!

“I bet you dance _beautifully_ , Honey!” I chuckled through another hiss when he dumped peroxide over it, giving him a wink. “I bet you can twerk like a pro!”

“NOICANT!”

I slipped my eyes from him to Plumeria, who just nodded at me with a mischievous smirk on her lips. I dropped my forehead to Guzma’s thigh, holding my stomach, crying in laughter with my injured hand still cradled in his own. Trying to get a breath in caused me to snort and Plumeria started up her giggles again.

“Oh, my Gods! My man can TWERK!” My voice was squeaking as I tried to speak through the giggles and chuckles while Guzma put some butterfly stitches on the bigger cuts and wrapped my hand up. “I _need_ to see this, Baby! Please!”

“There ain’t enough booze in this damn house,” he said while packing up the First Aid kit and putting it away. I loved how red his face was. “’Sides, why ya wanna see my nasty ass twerkin’?”

“One – I’ve seen your ass before and, while it is pale as fuck, I love it. Two – I bet it’d be kinda hot for you to do it for me while I’m sitting on your throne.” I opened my mouth and stuck my tongue out, waggling it at him crudely. “Perfect starting position for a sixty-nine, _Boss_.”

Plumeria’s cackles echoed my own when Guzma choked out what can only be described as a squawk in reply, unable to string enough words together to make a sentence. His hand slapped over his mouth hard enough to leave a red outline that was lost to the new shade that flooded across his face. My cheeks and stomach were starting to hurt from all the laughing and there were tears streaming down my cheeks as we leaned against each other on the floor.

“A’ight, that’s enough outta both o’ ya!”

 

It took over half an hour for the two of us to calm down.

Guzma focused on finishing the grooming he’d started on Golisopod, grumbling about insane women with a light blush on his cheeks. Plumeria and I, however, went through several different stages of de-escalation before we could even look at each other without so much as a giggle. I almost felt bad when I saw the pout on Guzma’s lips, but he was just too damn cute!

“Aw, Baby. I’m sorry… There’s plenty of embarrassing photos and videos of me on the internet!” I wrapped my arms around his torso from behind, nuzzling my face between his shoulders. “Sol would be more than happy to show you the playlist he saved on YouTube and his own private collection of Sister Blackmail.”

“Like anythin’ can be worse than a six foot five man twerkin’ on a bar to Brittany Spears…”

“There’s a video of that Dominatrix from Kalos walking me around on my hands and knees in Lumoise on a bright preppy pink leash and matching frilly Collar in the middle of the day.”

I just shrugged with a sheepish smile, twirling a lock of my hair nervously as they both turned to give me incredulous looks. “It made it to TMZ, that tabloid TV show, so it’s kinda multinational news, I guess?”

“I think she’s got ya beat, G.”

 

As the Alolan sun started to sink closer to the western horizon, Plumeria and Guzma started closing up the shoji before she headed back to Po Town. The shoji used for the outer doors were made of wood and glass instead of paper like the ones that separated the living and dining rooms downstairs, so they were a bit heavier and Guzma was convinced that the added weight would make me bust one of the butterflies or a splinter would catch on the bandage. I decided to keep those closed and actually use the AC if needed until the resident creeper squatter was caught.

I was giving Lust a nice grooming in the meantime, making sure the Gardevoir knew what she needed to do if I wasn’t home and wanted to do this herself. She was one of the three that I could trust to groom herself and other Pokémon, the others being Auron and Mundus.

Then again, they were the only three that had begged me for lovin’s the moment I’d captured them. Even in a Love Ball like Auron, Syl had taken a while to win over when he was an Eevee and he _loathed_ being groomed! I still had to us Hypnosis or Sleep Powder to get him to let me trim his claws.

“Let” being of dubious use, in this case.

As soon as Plume was around the curve of the driveway, Guzma threw me onto the couch and tickled me into a shrieking submission, demanding we watch Sol’s Blackmail Playlist. It wasn’t long until the thought that he might piss his pants laughing crossed my mind. He might’ve been an ugly laugher, with loud snorts and ridiculous volume, but I loved it and how contagious it was, so I was laughing right along with him.

His favorite video?

My first time speaking to the press after I gained my Hoenn title. Archie and Maxie had crashed the press release to congratulate me in their own unique way.

“The face you’re making is terrible, Princess! You look like pissed Yellow Diamond!”

“Archie was doing the worse beat-boxing I’d ever heard and Maxie was actually rapping in the worst monotone voice! In front of my family ON A LIVE TELEVISION BROADCAST!”

“I love how you’re not mad that they’re the leaders of the two criminal organizations you just helped dismantle or that they even crashed the party.” He wiped tears from his eyes. “It’s the fact that they’re bad rappers!”

“It’s rhythmic poetry – I don’t understand how you can fuck it up this bad!”

Guzma fell into another round of laughter that sounded like it came straight from his belly. He didn’t know it, but I was taking pictures and videos of him so I could see his smile and hear his laugh when I wanted to. It was nice to see after all the shit that had went down in the past month and a half.

I also hoped that I’d never see the day that Archie and Guzma met each other because I knew they’d get along like a fucking house fire. I would bet good money that Maxie ask me to let Kyogre flood the Earth.

We eventually came to one of the older videos from when Sol was about three and I was sixteen. It was my birthday, actually, and Wally had pushed my whole face into the cake. He was running from me as I chased him with the entire cake, my own face and hair plastered with blue frosting that would stain my skin for a few days after.

“Who’s that lil kid ya Dad’s holding?” Guzma asked, pointing to the toddler with long pigtails and in a frilly dress. I tensed up in my spot sprawled on top of him, hand on his stomach stilling. "Thought Sol was ya only sibling."

“That is Sol…”

“Y’all’s parents used to dress him up as a girl?”

“No. His birth gender is female. Sol’s transgender, Guzma." I sat up so I was between his legs and watched his face carefully. This is where people usually showed their true colors and I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to beat the shit out of my own Soul Mate. “Has been since he was about six. Came right up to Mom, Dad, and I and said he didn’t feel like a girl, that he was a boy, and he’s stayed that way since. He had to leave Kanto because the bullying was so bad, so Mother brought him here…”

I hated it when people would look at me after I told them about Sol. It was like I was vulnerable for my brother while also being a guardian. I couldn’t count how many people I had gotten into physical altercations with over misgendering and belittling my little Sunflora, but I didn’t mind adding to that number.

“So he was born a girl, but he knows he’s a boy.” I nodded. “Y’gonna help him pass when he starts going through puberty?”

“His birthday present last year was telling him I’m covering any hormone therapy and surgeries he might need.” I couldn’t read his face in the light from the TV and it unnerved me.

“That’s cool. Better than what the Grunts dealt with before they came to ya boy!”

My jaw dropped as I watched Guzma get comfortable again. I was speechless.

“Close ya mouth, Princess, you’ll catch Cutieflies.”

“Wait… That’s it? You don’t care?”

“Not mah body, not mah business. If Sol says he’s a boy, he’s a fuckin’ man and I’ll beat down anyone that says different.” He tugged me back down so I was on his chest again. “Respect that kid too much to let someone ruin him. ‘Sides, a few Grunts were Trans, too. Didn’t change nothin besides where they’d sleep and what uniform they’d wear.”

Putting my chin on his chest, I looked at him as my thoughts seemed to just stall. He didn’t care that Sol was trans. He’d accepted who knows how many kids that were the same into Team Skull as they were and supported them when their families didn’t.

Guzma was one of the first people that didn’t just dismiss it as Sol being too young to make that choice or that it was just a phase.

“Hey, whoa whoa! What’s with the waterworks, Doll?” His hands cradled me as he sat up and wiped my tears away. His eyes looked over my face with a little panic as I leaned into his hands “Shit, I said somethin wrong, didn’t I?”

“No! No, you didn’t. You actually just blew my fucking mind!” I wrapped my arms around my Mate and squeezed him tightly, nuzzling his chest with a watery chuckle. After a few minutes, I pulled back to wrap my arms around his neck. Placing a kiss on his forehead, eye lids, nose, and finally a sweet, lingering kiss on his lips, which he returned with the quietest moan I’d ever heard, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. “You’re one of only, like, ten people who know and respect his decision, Guzma. That means I can trust you with him and you have no idea how fucking much that means to me, Sweetheart.”

He kissed the crown of my head when I buried my face in his chest, running one hand up and down my back while the other massaged the back of my neck softly. He rearranged a few throw pillows before laying back down and I ended up with my hips on the couch just under his crotch so my head was resting just under his heart.

“You’re so damn tall we can’t even cuddle right unless we’re on the floor or in bed,” I said with a sigh and wrapped one arm under him and the other stretched up to his neck, messing with the hair at the base of his neck.

“Ah, stop yer complainin’, Princess.” My eyes closed as he started playing with my hair, the blunt nails lightly scratching my scalp sent a shiver of goosebumps over my skin. A content moan escaped my throat and I finally was able to relax. “Let ya boy Guzma take care of you for once.”

We changed to Netflix and ended up watching _Jurassic Park_. Being the JP fanatic I am, I was chipping in every now and then with lil tidbits about production. Like how the mechanical Tyrantrum’s skin would absorb a lot of water and cause the animatronic to shake (as seen when it was bearing down on the top of the car Lex and Tim occupied), the sounds of said Tyrantrum attacking the herd of juvenile Archen was just a Snubble playing with a rope toy, the famous scream of the featherless Archeops was a recording of Kyogre singing (“Which no one knew at the time since Magma and Aqua hadn’t awakened the Primordial Pokémon yet”), and other random bits I’d learned from watching the Special Features way too many times.

“You’re a lil bit of a nerd, ain’tcha?”

“Only about certain things,” I said with one hand under Guzma’s tanktop tracing the outlines of his muscles. “Paleontology’s always been something I’ve been interested in even when I was little. _Jurassic Park_ kinda fueled the fire, I guess.”

“You’re still little, Champ.” I pouted and looked him out of the corner of my eye. He was trying, unsuccessfully, to hide a smirk on his face. “My hand can almost cover ya entire back! You’re like a Cutiefly lovin’ on a Beedrill, Babydoll.”

This was true. Guzma was a foot and two inches taller than my five foot three and his hands engulfed mine. Palm to palm, he could curl his fingers to the second knuckle over mine while I held mine straight. My foot was literally half the size of his.

Shit, we had a cop try to split us up cuddling on the beach because they thought I was a child; calling Guzma a pedophile and threatening to lock him up until I whipped out my Trainer Passport and slapped the officer in the face with it. That string of ignorant accusations got both of us mad as all hell.

I flicked one of the barbells going through his nipples, making sure my nails scratched around it as I resettled my hands. He hissed and arched into the scratch a little, sound like a quiet growl rumbling in his throat. A smirk slid across my face when his hand moved from my waist to cup my ass.

“Mmmm, Kitten’s got claws, huh? Don’t like being teased a lil bit?” It didn’t miss my notice that his voice became the slightest bit growly and breathless. Gods, he was easy to rile up, I loved it. His grip on my ass tightened and I pushed into it a little bit without taking my eyes off the movie. “So, tell me somethin, Baby. How can ya be this small and still knock out someone twice ya size?”

“I’ve been practicing Mixed Martial Arts with my Fighting types for eleven years, Bone Daddy.” Guzma’s pupils dilated in the limited light, making his eyes look black as he brought up a hand to caress my cheek. “I don’t ask my Pokémon to protect me if I can’t protect them.”

I leaned into his touch with a hum, eyes closing when his long fingers reached into my hair. He sat up, making me do the same, and lightly bumped his nose with mine before capturing my lips with his. Matching groans escaped our mouths and I tilted my head to deepen the kiss as I sucked his bottom lip slightly. Suddenly, Guzma let out a pained hiss and pulled away. I opened my eyes to see what the problem was and he was rubbing where his neck met his broad shoulders.

“Sorry to ruin the mood, Princess. Must be gettin old,” he said while trying to massage the unseen kink in his muscles and wincing. He stuttered out a moan when I leaned forward and gave the spot near his working hand an open mouthed kiss.

“I can help with that, Honey.”

Tugging him to the bedroom, I took off the comforter and lit a few of the scented candles while I had Guzma pick out one of the massage oils I had in a small basket on the dresser. After turning out the lights, leaving only the glow of the candles, I helped him out of his clothes. That took longer than it should have because he kept stealing kisses and lingering touches. Finally, he laid down on the bed on his stomach, naked and looking a little nervous.

“You picked one of my favorite oils – it warms a little bit while it’s being worked with and smells like Lavender with a bit of Rose and Cherry Blossom. Good for anxiety and insomnia.”

“Ya know what ya doin’ though, right?” he asked as I worked some of the oil between my hands and settled in to straddle his thighs just under his ass.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of my boy.”

Once the oil was warm on my hands, I ghosted my hands over his back with just enough pressure to feel the knots in his muscles. Obviously, his upper back and shoulders were the worst thanks to all his slouching, but he had some tight ones on his lower back, too, so I started there. Guzma slowly started to relax under my hands as I worked away each knot, letting out soft sounds every time I found one.

Until I got to his upper back and shoulders.

Digging my thumb into a rather large knot between his shoulder and spine, a hiss turned into an almost guttural moan that I swear could be heard outside. I stopped momentarily, eyes wide and a little slack jawed as I stared at his face, which turned pink while he bit his lip. I shrugged and kept working on the knot after scooting up on him until I was straddling his ass for better leverage.

“Oh, fuck! Yes, right there, Doll…” Thumbs massaging on either side of his neck dug in a little deeper as his eyelids fluttered and eyes rolled back. “Oh, you’re so good with ya hands, Baby.”

He was so loud! My own face was turning a little red as I continued to work on his shoulders. Every time a new ball of tension was found, Guzma would hiss and moan while I worked it out until it was gone. Each time, he relaxed just a fraction more and his breathes came a little slower. The whole time, he breathed out words of encouragement that sounded absolutely sinful coming from his mouth. As I finished working on his hands, I heard a light snore.

I looked over and Guzma was out like a light. With a smile and a sigh, I shook my head and started cleaning up. By the time I was done, Guzma had folded both arms under his pillow and moved his legs into a Superman-like pose. I blew out all the candles, got in next to him, and covered our bodies with the sheet.

“Taco Blocked by my own hands…” Shaking my head, I draped an arm around Guzma’s waist and nuzzled into his back. Might be going to bed hella thirsty, but I haven’t seen him sleep so deep he was drooling since he started staying here, so I guess it’s okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you feel like submitting fan art or anything like that, pop by my Tumblr!  
> http://akarah-sommah.tumblr.com


	13. Shadow Sneak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penetrate and baste the mind
> 
> Show my soul another light
> 
> You seduce and desecrate
> 
> So damn cold and far away
> 
> And yet inside you heat me up
> 
> Forever comes the Black Sun

Soon enough, the night of the Grand Opening of the Contest Hall came and everyone was busier than a Beedrill hive.

The former Skullings had done an amazing job under Steven’s expert eye and the Hall looked magnificent! Murals of all of the Masters, including myself, spanned the entryway into the Atrium which, true to design, shifted colors like an Aurorus’ sail. The stage was immaculate, a custom Tribal design on it that all the Kahuna had agreed on, with the Five Classes represented in beautiful hanging banners evenly spaced around the room.

Red and Blue had taken (read as dragged) Guzma out shopping this morning for something that wasn’t his usual sweats and hoodie. I’d barely had time to give him a kiss goodbye before Red tossed the fluffy haired man over his shoulder and went on their merry way. Wally had arrived around the same time to get Hazel and me to the Atrium for run-throughs, costume and make-up touch-ups, and music confirmation.

While Hazel was having one of the Skullings doing her hair, I was in neck breaking stilettoes and yoga pants going over our routine with Wally one last time with Pride and Lust. Despite him looking so petite, Wally was still a good foot taller than me so I needed the extra height to keep up with his stride. I was surprised at the fact that he could actually pick me up for some of the moves, but I guess he’d gotten physically stronger after finding Steven.

Hazel was in the Cute category with her Plusle and Minon, Pepper and Mint. Since she was due to give birth in a month, Caramel the Audino was permitted to stand next to her and cast Protect on her during her performance. Her boys and I had not budged on it – that was a necessity with Hazel’s track record of tripping into flat, stable surfaces, walking into glass walls and screen doors, and almost drinking Razz Berry tea (which can cause contractions). We’d all learned to keep her away from knives in the kitchen and, if she had a particularly klutzy day, we even cut her food for her. To say she hated going out to eat at restaurants with us was an understatement.

At least she looked cute in her Chansey costume with two little eggs showing in the pouch on the stomach.

Steven had brought in Wally and I’s costumes and they were gorgeous! A ball gown with a skirt made of multiple black chiffon layers over a single layer of bright red with a vintage styled corset bodice that was the same red with black lace over it and fingerless lace gloves that went up to my biceps. Wally was wearing a sharp three piece suit in black with red pinstripes, a red dress shirt with a black tie, and bright red chucks. We both had something that represented Team Skull tied into it as a tribute to the group that was working so hard to make up for their past. I had a delicate choker with a smaller symbol in silver that rested against my clavicle and Wally had a belt buckle in the same silver. I was surprised Plumeria found one that was big enough since Guzma only had his in gold.

As Wally and I did our final dip, Hazel waddled over with a smile on her face. Her hair was in up in a nice twist in the back with three curls on each side of her face and her make-up was soft and pale pink all around. The warm colors made her, ironically, hazel eyes pop a bit.

“Look at the boys! They look so good!”

Sure enough, all three of them did in nice jeans, new shoes, dress shirts and vests, but Guzma stood out to me for two reasons. One, his hair looked like it had been straightened with the white put into a ponytail and his usual look of just purple eye shadow was more of a smokey and his face seemed a bit sharper. Pretty sure he used eye liner and mascara, but either way it made is silver eyes look amazing. Two, the white sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up to his elbows. Despite how uncomfortable he looked, Guzma cleaned up like a Champ!

“Did he contour?” Wally asked, walking over to the small shower stall we had in the room. “I bet he had Plumeria come over to do it.”

Humming in agreement, I sent Guzma a text about how good he looked and to make sure they sat with Mother and Sol in the private box I’d reserved for them. That’d keep some of the reporters away from everyone until we had to leave. I just wouldn’t see any of them until after our performance and that was making my Stage Fright act up a little bit.

Not a lot of people outside of my friends and family knew, but I had crippling Stage Fright. When battling, I was fine because I had absolute confidence in myself and Pokémon. Contests were another thing altogether because those were actually being Judged. If we messed up, it was noted. Even though we were all just performing to show what Contest goers could aspire to in each Class and there was no actual competition, I still felt the ice creeping up my spine. Caramel liked me enough to help me out while I got ready, so she’d be getting lots and lots of the special Poképuffs I made once this was all over.

 

During the whole performance, Wally made sure I kept eye contact with him whenever we were able. Just the few times I was spun away from him or when we switched partners with our Pokémon so I was dancing with Pride, had my heart going so fast I was sure it’d show up as a flat line. I’m pretty sure I bruised his hand, shoulder, and anywhere else I touched him during the four minutes we were on the stage, but he never complained and only sent me reassuring smiles.

“Fake it till you make it” was my motto on stage, but even as Wally dipped me to the floor, I could feel myself shaking. It stopped briefly when Pride and Lust made the Team Skull logo appear above us by levitating white and black roses, the roaring cheers of the crowd when the roses dissolved into falling petals brought them back. A quick bow and the four of us speed walked off the stage as calmly as we could, Wally keeping a grounding hand on my back as we went.

As we walked towards the private boxes, and I could finally feel Guzma through the bond. At first, I thought the anxiety he sent was triggered from my panic, but then he sent something that screamed for me to hurry. It felt like desperation, almost. Soon enough, we got to the door and the possessive anger I felt at the scene before me made the lingering panic dissolve into almost nothing.

“So this is the Beauty that’s been keeping _my_ Guzma from me.” Lusamine’s voice was sweet, but dripped acid the same color as her insincere eyes and the fake smile on her face made my hands itch like I wanted to hit something. She held her hand out like Kalosian royalty, like she wanted me to kiss it. “It’s a pleasure to _finally_ meet you.”

My eyebrow might’ve ascended to a higher plane as I looked between her hand and her face before snorting like an Emboar and brushing past her to get to Guzma, whose conflicted eyes were glued to me the minute I had walked in the door. The poor man was tensed up so hard, I was surprised he hadn’t gotten some type of cramp and I could hear him grinding his teeth when I pulled his face gently into a Hongi. A growl bubbled in my throat at his heavy exhale and the shaking in his hands - no, his whole body - when he wrapped his arms around mine and held me to his chest.

Sol, Gladion, and Lillie, who had been acting as shields around Guzma, parted for me to get to him before going to stand by Mother. I could hear Sol explaining who I was in hushed whispers while I calmed Guzma down enough to the point where I end up attacking the blonde witch. I didn’t want blood on this dress. I leaned away after his breathing calmed down and he opened his eyes. The fear was still there, as was the shaking, but he had gained some color back to his face.

“I am absolutely positive, Lusamine,” I purred while turning my head to just see her over my shoulder, “that I did not permit you to be in my family’s private box.”

“Well, I was a major benefactor of Po Town back about a year ago, so no one would mind if I go where I please.”

“Is that right?” Turning to fully look at the woman, she had a hand on her hip and an all too fake smile on her face, looking condescending. I mimicked her, putting a hand on my cheek and the other holding my elbow on that arm. “Because, from where I’m standing, **I** funded all of the remodeling and additions to the Shady House. It was **you** who tried to block any type of remodeling to this place to try and bring money and experience to the little Skullings.”

“The Tri-Regional Champion was the one who funded all of this and I don’t see her here, dear.” She giggled saccharinely behind her hand. “And I don’t see anyone here who fits that description, do you?”

“Oh, really?” I plastered a closed lip smile on my face and I split all the layers of chiffon up to the bodice on my right side, parting them to show the rich purple _GuZma_ on my hipbone. Her face was a careful mask of ‘genuine’ surprise, but I saw anger in her acidic eyes as I smoothed the fabric back into place and held a laced had out to her with a toothy, predatory grin. “Akara Soma: One time Champion of Kanto and Johto, five year holder of the title of Hoenn Champion, Master Rank Contest trainer, tamer of the Primordial Legendary Kyogre – Hi, how ya doin’?”

Lusamine had the balls to actually grasp my hand, which I ended up gripping much tighter than necessary. She winced as I tightened with each shake and I didn’t let go until I felt something in her hand shift. Taking her hand back and a few steps away from me, her face was dark, ironically reminding me of the one time I had seen Giovanni.

Except I wasn’t scared of her like I had been of Team Rocket.

“Well, you can take the boy out of the street, but he still seems to attract thugs,” she simpered while trying to discreetly cradle her hand. Arceus, I hope I broke something.

“Didn’t stop you from fucking him on the regular, did it? Wouldn’t surprise me if Mohn actually jumped into a Worm Hole just to get away from your selfish ass.” Sol told me later than my eyes could only be described as volcanic as I laid into Lusamine. “Now, why don’t you leave before I **MAKE** you leave, hmm?”

Mother choked on her drink, the children looked at her in disgust, and Wally looked like he’d rather be anywhere other than here. Lusamine went to call her children, but I moved in front of them, too.

“Oh, no. They’re family now, they can stay.”

“Oh, yes. They’ve both gotten your _sister’s_ name on their skins now, don’t they?” There was a collective inhale of breathe throughout the room as I got tunnel vision.

Lusamine didn’t have time to realize the mistake she made before my hand met her face with a satisfying slap that made my hand sting and tingle. I grabbed the gem on the front of her dress before she could hit the ground and dragged her face so it was level with mine. Red was seeping into my vision quicker than when I’d confronted Guzma’s father and it had nothing to do with the split in her lip where she’d bitten it.

“You have five minutes to get the hell out of Po Town. If I **ever** see you here or anywhere near my family again, Kyogre will drag you to the bottom of the sea.” She spit some blood in my face and I didn’t even flinch. “Pride, Lust. Make sure our ‘guest’ gets out of Po Town.” The two Psychic types took her from my arms and escorted her out while she tried to spit out threats, Wally following to make sure she actually stayed out. I scoffed, “Pathetic bitch.”

Small arms wrapped around my waist and I held Sol to me as Mother came and wiped the bloody spit from my face. I leaned away like I was ten years old again, whining at her while she dabbed the wet washcloth on my cheek.

“You’d think I’d learn to trust your judgment by now…” she sighed as she hugged both of us. “I shouldn’t have let that Arbok in here!”

“You try to see the good in people first, Mother. I take more after Father and go by my gut.” I pushed Sol to arm’s length and knelt down so we were at eye level, speaking softly while I fluffed some of his hair. “Did she just out you?”

Sol nodded and looked wearily at the two blondes. Nudging him towards them, Mother led him over while I moved to Guzma’s side. He’d sunk into one of the overstuffed armchairs with his hands covering his face. I put my hands on his shoulders and massaged them until he lowered his hands just enough to see me, eyes bloodshot and anxiety still thrumming through the Bond. Walking around him, I sat in his lap and we just held each other while Sol had his own heart-to-heart with his Soul Mates. From what I could tell, both were taking the news well and decided to stay with Sol and Mother for a few days.

Sans Wally, who stayed at the Shady House with Steven so they could catch their flight in the morning back to Hoenn, the six of us ended back at my house. The kids and Mother were asleep after one round of Tapu Cocoa, but Guzma and I laid in bed and talked almost till the sun came up. Lusamine still had a hold on him that he couldn’t seem to shake, but he didn’t want it, either.

Ironically, that would be the most pleasant encounter we had with Lusamine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a lil shorter than normal cuz I'm goin' through some shit right now with work, but I'll make up for it!


	14. Nuzzle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually putting some effort into this one, guys, because I feel bad about makin' y'all wait so long!

Akara spent the next few days helping Sol explain his Gender Identity to Gladion and Lillie. Mother understood the basics and supported Sol, but she didn’t know how to explain it besides ‘I gave birth to a daughter who is now my son and I support that.’

The two Aether heirs were actually quite understanding, but that made sense when they hadn’t known Sol by any other gender than the one he presented as. Sol had also taken the plunge and came out to Hau. No one expected Hau’s response of “I kinda figured with all the times you got scared over Bug types, Cuz! Doesn’t bother me at all!”

All three would make the trip from Mele-Mele to Ula’Ula, Sol would do a few kata with his sister and Guzma after they went through a round of Yoga (Sol and Guzma doing more beginner poses instead of the advanced ones Akara would do), and once they’d get done with the huge breakfast she’d cook, they’d ask any questions they had that Sol or Mother didn’t know how to answer.

“Sol can use whatever bathroom he feels more comfortable using. When in doubt, use the Unisex bathroom.”

“You two only have Sol’s name on yourselves because Bonds don’t allow incest, as far as I know.”

“Hazel, Blue, and Red’s relationship is a bit more complicated. Red and Blue had their Kismesissitude before Hazel almost killed herself to find them on Mt. Silver.”

“I am not explaining the Quadrants from Homestuck to y’all. Read the web-comic for date night.”

“Not all Bonds are Romantic… Sol, I’m never not going to be violent - everyone I love is a precious Cinnamon Bun and I need to protect you…Yes, even though Guzma is over a foot taller than me, Lillie.”

“I didn’t threaten your ‘Mother’… I made a promise. I don’t break promises.”

“On that note, never make a promise you can’t keep.”

“I can probably bench Kahuna Hala and Kukui with my legs. Why was that important, Gladion?”

Needless to say, by the time they went back to Aether Paradise, Gladion and Lillie knew they had been brought into a family that was a bit dysfunctional, but in a good way. Akara let them know that they were welcome to stay with her should they need it. Her house had plenty of space.

Only thing that had bothered Guzma was the lack of privacy. Being used to walking around shirtless (or less), cussing, and pushing Akara against a wall or counter for a quick make-out session, the ex-Boss didn’t appreciate having to censor himself to just sending dirty texts while they were in the same room or having to wear more than just his sweats.

Akara, of course, didn’t stop her cussing for the three days the kids were over, but did wear more conservative clothes – barely. Running shorts and tank tops did _nothing_ to hide her body and Guzma found himself acting like a jealous teenager while she got to know her new siblings. Akara found it amusing, but did try her best not to add fuel to the fire.

It didn’t help that Gladion would purposely get a hug from her or sit next to her whenever they all sat down together. He was madder that it worked in getting him riled up than the fact that the kid was doing it. Akara would get revenge for him by pulling Gladion’s hair back in cute barrettes that really clashed with his Edgelord vibe. They looked like something Lillie would wear, so Guzma had plenty of blackmail photos for the future.

To celebrate the newfound freedom of privacy, the couple was back to running round in their usual attire within an hour of the kids leaving. Akara in her crop-tops and short-shorts and Guzma in his sweats or shorts and nothing else. What they didn’t count on was a visit from Kahuna Nanu, a glaring of Meowth, and that pushy Persian of his.

“Kahuna Nanu! How nice to see you!”

“The fuck ya want, old man?”

Akara smacked Guzma in the stomach before she put on some coffee for Nanu and cream out for all the Meowth and Persian. Her own, Sassy, came purring and chirping into the room and took residence right on Nanu’s lap as he sat at the breakfast bar. Not so surprisingly, he took the small saucer of cream for her and put it down in front of himself so the cat didn’t have to move.

“Well, I have an idea to catch the idiot that has the balls to squat on your property. They’ve been moving their blind to try and throw Delila off the scent, right?”

“Eyup.” Akara leaned against the bar, Guzma standing behind her to ogle her ass in the black shorts that barely covered what they needed to. He’s paying attention, he swears! “Her sense of smell is great, but they got smart and washed everything in unscented soap so she’s having a problem pinning ‘em down.”

“Well, I’ve brought reinforcements. These guys will prowl around the edge of your property and flush him out.” Guzma snorted and covered his face with a hand while Akara slid her gaze over all the grey fur in her kitchen. Nanu raised an eyebrow and his usual monotone sounded a little annoyed. “What?”

“N-nothing! But… I have a lot of larger Pokémon that are all but free-range here. Do they know not to go into the paddock outback? I don’t want them getting stepped on by Titan or Aurorus…”

Said Tyrantrum trotted past the house just then, everyone grabbing a cup or saucer that was jumping off the counter. Precious fluffed up her tail and paused in her lapping, but didn’t move from her spot. None of Nanu’s cats did.

“Don’t worry about it, they know better than to go into the field. Just leave a window open enough for them to get in and out if it rains or somethin’.” Precious moved to a sunny spot on the engawa and laid down, a few Meowth following suit. “They all do their business outside. I don’t do kitty litter.”

“Yea, ya gag like a bitch when ya do.”

Nanu shot Guzma a look that could’ve froze the Gates of Hell and Akara kicked him in the shin without turning around. To his credit, Guzma only grunted and shifted his weight a bit.

Nanu had brought a bunch of beds, bowls, and food for the Dark types and helped Akara set them up in one of the spare rooms downstairs. The bowls had their names on them and each one was unique to the cat. No one had the same name or even a Jr/Sr. Precious was among the glaring that stayed behind and Sassy seemed smitten with her, much to the Persian’s annoyance, but she tolerated the kitten.

There were about ten Meowth in total that would be staying in the room.

“That man is dedicated to his cats,” Akara said as she waved to the Kahuna while he ambled around the bend of the driveway.

“He’s had Precious since before he got stationed outside o’ Po Town. Pretty sure she was his starter.”

“Damn, it’s gonna rain.” Akara moved out into the paddock to open up the barn and other shelters she had around the space, Guzma shuffling along right beside her. “Persian can live that long?”

“With how well he take care o’ ‘em, probably.”

While Guzma handled opening the taller structures, Akara went about filling troughs with water and food. Every so often, they’d see a grey face and slanted eyes in the foliage around the paddock fence, but as thunder started to rumble closer, grey streaks could be seen bolting into the house. Titan ended up getting her nose scratched by Precious when she bent too close to sniff at one of the Meowth, but the Tyrantrum whimpered and tried to hide behind Akara instead of retaliating against the fluffed up hellion. Akara gave the Fossil Pokémon some extra Rainbow Beans and Precious got a stern talking to when she made it back up to the porch. She’s pretty sure the old Queen understood, but the look she gave the Trainer was one of Ultimate Sass.

Dinner was a simple affair of ramen noodles and a mixed drink of the adults’ choice; Akara had an Alolan Volcano while Guzma had Jack and Coke. She gagged watching him take a huge swig of the drink, much preferring her “fruity monstrosity” to his “alcoholic equivalence of fragile masculinity.”

“I’d rather have it sneak up on me within twenty minutes instead of going to stand up and suddenly having the floor tilt.” Akara sipped on her third colorful drink while Guzma was downing his like it was water from a large tumbler.

“Ya just don’t know how ta have fun like the big boys, Doll. Tha’s all!”

“I’m two years older than you, I’m BANNED from half of the bars in Hoenn for having too much fun, and Blue and I are also banned from a few strip clubs for the same reason,” she said while grabbing Who Framed Roger Bunnelby and playing it on the Xbone. Guzma choked on his drink and she rubbed his back while sipping her own.

“You actually go into strip clubs!?” The question was wheezed out before he took a drink from a bottle of water they each had. Akara was a victim of one bad blackout that turned hangover and vowed never again, so she was always prepared.

“Uh… Yes?” Akara was a little put off by the look Guzma was giving her. It made her face burn. “I couldn’t tell if your name was masculine or feminine so I stayed open to the possibility! Besides, the strength needed for half the shit they pull on that pole is ridiculous! I _still_ can’t do half the stuff they do and I focus on my upper body strength!”

“So, wha’s that mean for ya sexuality?”

“Gender literally means fuck all to me, it’s how someone makes me feel.” It was quiet for a few minutes before she took her head off his shoulder and squinted her eyes at him. “What does this have ta do with anythin’ anyway?”

“Well, ya’ve only mentioned that chick in Kalos, so I guess I’m wonderin’ if you’re not forcing all the shit we do, ya know?” Guzma swirled his drink in his hand, watching the ice swirl in the off colored Coke. “I don’t wantcha to be faking how ya feel just cuz we’re Soul Mates…”

Akara was quiet for a minute or two while the thoughts made it through the fog of alcohol, but the smile that cut across her face was genuine. Guzma was worried that his need for affection on a romantic and sexual level was the only reason she was attracted to him and didn’t want that to be the only reason she cared about him. How did this man not believe that he was a good person?

“ _Oh, Sweetheart_ ,” she purred while squirming her upper body onto his lap. She reached her hands up to cup his face and scratch at the scruff on his chin a little. “I’m not just sucking your dick because **you** want me to.” Guzma’s face turned red almost alarmingly fast at the blunt statement. “No one can make me do anything in the bedroom unless I already want to. If I didn’t want that type of relationship with you, I wouldn’t be sneaking my hand down your pants or up your shirt when no one can see. I wouldn’t be leaving marks on your neck so people know that you’re taken and I sure as Hell wouldn’t let you leave marks on me.” She leaned up and nuzzled his neck with her nose, nibbling on the skin just under his ear and smirking at seeing his pulse quicken and the whispered groan. “I suck your cock so much because I _love_ to, I swallow every last drop because I _love_ how you taste, and the desperate noises you make under my lips – Mmmm, I can’t get enough of them, Baby.”

Guzma was sure his face couldn’t get any redder as Akara settled her head in his lap, ignoring the obvious erection a few inches from her face in his sweats. She dragged the nails of one hand lightly from his jaw down his neck and chest before it was awkward for her arm, smirking at the light red lines in their wake and the airy moan that made it past his lips.

"You're such a fucking tease, Princess," Guzma hissed. He brushed his thumb over her lips, a small smile spreading over his own when she kissed it and nuzzled her face into his palm. Her eyes were so warm and trusting, something he wasn't used to in the slightest. Even when he moved his hand to her neck, putting just enough pressure to feel the slight flutter of Akara's heartbeat, her eyes just rolled back a bit and she bit her lip. "Oh-ho! Ya actually like that?"

"Mmhmm." The look on her face reminded him of a Meowth, slow blink and everything. She even   
lifted her chin a bit so his palm was flat against the column of her throat. "You can squeeze a little harder if you want."

Guzma thought he'd died and gone to heaven; his girl liked Breath Play! He bit his lip and squeezed a little harder, barely enough for his fingers to make the smallest indent in her skin. Akara moaned quietly and arched her neck into his hand, shifting her hips slightly. Guzma watched the movement like an Ariados watching a Cutiefly caught in its web.

"Imagine that... The badass Champion likes bein' choked and even purrs like a Purrloin for it." He could tell the moment Akara noticed that change in his headspace because her smile widned to show her little canines. Guzma's smile turned into a smirk when she slid off the couch to her knees in front of him, head resting on the inside of this thigh, giving him a smoldering look through halflidded eyes. He reached down to run his fingers through her hair, sitting up straighter in his seat. "Whatcha doin' there, Kitten?"

Akara opened her mouth to reply, but an unholy sound of dozens of yowls and screeches sounded from the yard. Guzma jerked at the same time she did, causing his knee to hit her in the chest and knocking the air from her lungs. Gravity seemed to be exceptionally vengeful that night and dragged him down to crash against the coffee table, breaking it in half.

The two Trainers laid there gathering their breath for a few moments before Precious came in and gave them a look that rivalled her Trainer's. Guzma dragged himself out of the splintered wood and helped Akara to her feet. She massaged her sternum as they walked out, other hand finding Guzma's as they followed the old cat halfway down the driveway, where it sounded like the Meowth were mauling someone.

"You gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me..." Akara deadpanned when she saw who it was.

"Ain't this that creep reporter from the Legacy interview?"

"Uh-huh." Akara crossed he arms and glared at the scumbag in front of her. The man was covered in little scratches from the Meowth. A few of them were actually shaking their heads while they had mouthfuls of his pants, ripping the material.

"Call off the cats!" 

Precious just sat at the two humans' feet, mrrowing until both of them started petting her. They watched the man get harassed by the cats until Akara heard the tinkling of a bell. She looked around the glaringly of cats to see Sassy high stepping like a dressage Ponytail up the driveway with Nanu in town, the bell on her blue ribbon collar announcing their arrival.

They all shared the same unimpressed look while Nanu cuffed the man and read him his rights. After packing up all the Pokémon's beds and bowls, Precious lead her glaring and human out of the property. Guzma and Akara walked into the living room and observed the mess of wood splinters, broken glass, and spill alcohol. With heavy sighs, they cleaned it all up and settled back onto the couch, this time with Guzma's head in Akara's lap.

"Nothing kills the mood like hearing feline Pokémon fight."

"Listen to Pinsir matin' then get back to me, Princess." Akara paused in running her fingers through his hair, giving him her best 'wtf' face. "He got outta Po Town once when a female in heat was around... Worse than hearin' a Ninetails shriek at night on My. Lanakila."

They both shared an unpleasant shiver before restarting _Who Framed Roger Bunnelby_ , relaxing back into the cushions. When Jessica Bunnelby slapped the detective, Akara nudged Guzma's cheek to get his attention.

"So, just for future reference, what title do you prefer when you're in a Dominant headspace?"

"Sir used to work, but the way you say 'Boss' works a helluva lot better." He blinked up at her, eyes looking like liquid mercury in the light of the TV. "How 'bout you, Princess?"

"'Your Majesty' could work," she said with a giggle. Guzma huffed at her, smacking her thigh with a chuckle of his own.

"In your dreams, Princess. Ya Boi don't bow down to anyone."

"Yet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Back to third person cuz typing this at work got hella awkward in the steamy bits with the I in there lol  
> We're getting to the climax of the story soon, but not the end! There's still a lot more coming from Dreamer and I that will hit you right in the feels!
> 
> I just got a new Bluetooth keyboard for my phone, so chapters are gonna come out weekly!


	15. Babydoll Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even Devils can cry if their heart is broken.

The next month passed in relative peace for Akara, Guzma, and their Pokémon.

The Contest Hall was a hit and Akara only had to make appearances during Master Rank events as a Judge, Guzma tagging along to see the Bug Types that seemed to dominate the Clever Class; Guzma’s father was sentenced to ten years in jail for domestic violence, assault, and a slew of other charges that arose after taking statements from Guzma and his Mother, who also finally filed for divorce; and Akara had a restraining order placed on the creeping paparazzi that basically amounted to him not being allowed on any Island that herself or her family was on. She’s pretty sure he just moved out of the Region instead of being stuck on a single Island.

After his Father’s trial, Guzma was sleeping better than he had in years. The bags around his eyes faded to something more normal, but he still kept wearing the Lilac Blush or Wisteria Breeze eye-shadow he liked (Akara had been “educated” when she called them both “purple”). He started going out in public without a shirt more, not being as ashamed of his scars now that his Father was locked away, and resumed Training with Hala in the mornings until he could keep up with Akara’s rigorous MMA routine. Guzma had learned when he passed out on the third day he tried to keep up with her and Auron, but he still did yoga with her as a cool down when he got back to the house.

Lusamine didn’t seem to intervene with Sol’s relationship with her children, either. Gladion and Lillie visited him often when he wasn’t taking Challengers and it seemed like the siblings had a friendly rivalry going over who could make Sol blush the most. Lillie was, surprisingly, winning, but that might be because Gladion’s version of flirting was probably the most adorably awkward thing Akara had ever seen.

And she’d had to help Wally, a literal shut in for the first decade of his life, flirt with Steven Stone.

On this particular day, Akara was chaperoning the young trio to the beach. As the boys tried to best each other in Mantine Surf, she was sunbathing with Lillie and trying to text Guzma. He’d been gone all day and missed their usual yoga session, but instead of his usual style of emoji and awful typos that she’d learned to decipher, he was sending one word answers.

Guzma had told her that Plumeria had left a message over night, but not what it was about, just that it was an emergency and he needed to go to Po Town ASAP. The bond thrummed erratically with worry from Guzma before he’d close the connection when she tried to send comfort and unintentionally open it again about ten minutes later, but she didn’t want to push it no matter how uneasy it made her. He’d tell her when he was ready. She just hoped he wasn’t doing something that warranted a round in the Octagon so she didn’t actually smack him.

Akara worried her bottom lip with her teeth until she tasted the smallest hint of copper. She put down her phone and picked up the only Masterball she ever owned. She held it in both hands and smoothed her thumbs over the pink spots on the ball, sighing heavily. She was releasing Kyogre today. They’d loved the Alolan water and there was no reason for her to keep them anymore, so it was time to let them go.

She waded into the warm water until it was just brushing the bottom of her bikini top. With a burst of white light, Kyogre was released, making a wave high enough to submerge Akara completely for a moment. The Sea Basin Pokémon called out happily as they felt the warm, tropical water on their skin before turning an amber gaze to their Trainer. They nudged her with their nose when they noticed that she was frowning. Akara hugged the massive Pokémon the best she could, kissing the cerulean skin as she, unsuccessfully, tried to hold back tears.

“Alright, Baby… It’s time I kept my end of the deal…” she sniffed while wiping her face of the huge tears that started to escape her eyes. “You’ve been with me for more than the five years I promised, so now it’s time to set you free.”

Kyogre let out a noise that she could barely hear, but she felt it deep in her bones, as it pushed into her more insistently. It was the most heart wrenching sound Akara had ever heard a Pokémon make, sadder than anything she’d heard on Mt. Pyre when she went to get the Blue Orb or any cemetery she’d been to in her travels. Kyogre wasn’t making this easy.

“It’s not right for me to keep you in that ball all the time, Kyogre. You belong here, in the oceans of the world – free to go wherever you want!” Akara buried her face into the hide of the only Legendary she’d ever tamed and let out a shuddering breath. The Pokémon shook its large head and squealed loudly, obviously unhappy. “I don’t want to give you up, either, but I can’t just keep you captive like that!”

Trainer and Pokémon were silent as they bobbed in the waves, not noticing the small crowd that had gathered on the beach to watch even if they couldn’t hear. Akara laid on top of Kyogre, listening the heartbeat that came from deep within the Titan as she tried to think of a way that they’d both be happy. She didn’t want to leave Kyogre in a box whenever she didn’t need them when it was happiest when they could spend hours exploring the oceans. It felt like hours later when she came up with a solution.

“You can sense when I call you if I have the Blue Orb, right?” Kyogre lowed in response, showing her that they were listening. Akara let out a watery chuckle as she wiped her face again. “I’ll keep your empty Masterball at the house with the Orb in their own little display, so no one else can catch you, but I’ll always be able to call you if I need you!”

Kyogre seemed to accept that and splashed their large pectoral fins with a happy rumble. They stayed in the water for a few hours after that, neither of them ready to say goodbye, but as the sun started nearing the horizon Akara swam to shore and watched Kyogre go out to sea. She tucked the Masterball safely into her bag and sat next to where the kids were all having a late lunch. She was silent as she ate the sub she’d packed herself, not a fan of how sweet this batch of Malasadas was, until Sol nudged her shoulder.

“Hey, sis. You wanna see _my_ Legendary?”

“I didn’t know you had one, my Sunflora.” Akara wiped her mouth and put her sub down, giving her brother her full attention. “You mentioned needing one to get to Guzma in Ultra Space and find Necrozoma in that weird city there, but not that you’d caught one.”

“‘Caught’ is a strong word,” Gladion said while he fed Silvally, putting some of Akara’s Normal Type oil on the Pokémon’s snout while it chewed. “You could’ve used a normal Pokéball and Solgaleo wouldn’t have broken out.”

“Gladion!”

Sol just stuck his tongue out at him while waving off Lillie’s obvious chastising of her brother. Taking out his own Masterball, he released the giant white Lion for his sister to see, hoping it would cheer her up.

Akara didn’t think she’d ever laughed so hard in her life when Solgaleo appeared and Sol called it Junior. The two blonds were sure that she’d peed her pants when she fell over in the sand holding her stomach and squeaking out her laughter. The oversized Lion still nuzzled her and gave her sandpaper kisses when they were introduced, though, so Sol was happy. Akara was still giggling when she got back to her home a few hours later, face and stomach sore from laughing so hard while she was on the phone with Eevee, who was on Akala Island preparing for Mallow’s trial in Lush Jungle.

“Eevee, I swear to Arceus, he named this Legendary Pokémon **Junior** because ‘Sol’ is in this thing’s name!” The other woman’s cackle set off another round of giggles for the Tri-Regional Champ as she took off her shoes and hung up her bag at the door. “It’s a giant cosmic lion! He named it JUNIOR!”

_“What was it that Lillie named it before it evolved?”_

"Nebby, as in Nebula!” The two women shared another giggle as Akara walked into her kitchen. Opening the fridge she paused, moving some items around and even checking the freezer side with a soft ‘what the fuck.’

_“What is it, babes?”_

“I literally just bought a couple gallons of apple juice yesterday and it’s all gone.” Closing the fridge, she looked around chewing her bottom lip. Her eyes stopped on an unfamiliar pair of shoes that sat in the cubby next to Guzma’s. “Hey, I’ll call you back later, okay?”

Hanging up with her friend, Akara listened for the sound of her Soul Mate’s voice. Hearing it in the back yard talking to, what she assumed, was another male, she walked to the back door and slid it open to walk out on the engawa. Amber eyes scanned the yard until she saw an unfamiliar Butterfree and Tauros near the small Berry orchard in the far back, the Butterfree fluttering around with her own Volcarona. Guzma’s poof of white hair was actually dull in comparison to the shock of electric blue that was crouched next to him, but his pale skin almost glowed compared to the dark bronze that went with that blue hair.

Corona saw her on the engawa and fluttered around the two men excitedly, gaining their attention, before darting over. The large Bug almost took her down in his excitement to see her. He’d been flying all over Alola since she’d gotten there and was now home from his little adventures. Akara buried her face in his mane of white floof before waving at Guzma and his friend and going back inside with Carona flittering around behind her.

Akara felt a small nudge of questioning concern through the Bond and sent back a rather apathetic bit of reassurance, if she was honest, but didn’t close the connection. Guzma’s closeness felt good while she took the empty Masterball and glowing Blue Orb out of her bag. Now that she was home, it was starting to sink in that Kyogre wasn’t part of her Team anymore.

Akara felt a bit of panic start up in her belly and decided to keep busy so she wouldn’t focus on it. She spent the next half hour rearranging her whole curio cabinet while Guzma and his guest finished up whatever they were doing in the small orchard. She was sipping some of her stashed apple cider when they two men came in, tears silently sliding down her face as she looked at the two new additions to the collections.

Corona was behind her, supporting her weight as she sat cross-legged on the floor and Syl was in her lap trying to lick the tears off her face. Corona trilled softly at Guzma until he came closer. The man couldn’t recall seeing the Sylveon or Volcarona ever look this distressed over something, even when he’d come home to see the Fairy Type sulking in his bed because Akara hadn’t taken him with her that day.

He’d also never seen Akara crying in the six months since she got here, either. Not even in the five that he’d been living with her had he seen her shed a tear outside of watching a cheesy movie!

Guzma slammed the bond shut just before the blast of panic he felt could travel through. He was surprised that the choked noise that made it out of his mouth wasn’t loud enough to get her attention. She just kept staring at the Masterball and Blue Orb a few shelves up in the cabinet, looking like a lost Deerling; eyes wide and glossy from crying, but the irritated red of her sclera made the gold of her eyes stand out alarmingly, though.

What the fuck had happened to his Lil Ass-Kicker to cause this? She’d told him about the rare flare-ups she’d get of her panic disorder, even with her meds, but there wasn’t anything to set her off that he could remember. Only thing that could’ve triggered one would’ve been Lusamine’s behavior at the Contest Hall, but that was weeks ago!

“Troy, man, can ya feed these guys? She has their food labeled in the fridge and pantry.”

The man, now known as Troy, nodded and ushered the Pokémon into the kitchen with a nod. He had to pick up Syl who was understandably worried about his Trainer and whined when she was out of view when he closed the shoji so they had some privacy with the textured glass door.

Guzma didn’t hesitate to pull his Mate into his lap and hold her to his chest. She curled up so she was almost completely in his lap and tucked her head under his chin so she could hear his heartbeat. Her arms wrapped around his waist and squeezed him tightly while he rocked them from side to side.

“What happened, Sweetheart? No judgment comin’ from ya boy, here. Just wanna know what has ya hurtin’… Got us all worried n’ shit.”

“I let them go…” Guzma cradled the back of her head as she buried it further into his chest. He could barely hear her even though she was right there.

“Who’d ya let go, Baby Girl?” She pulled back and pressed her forehead to his, eyes squeezed tightly shut as tears still came from them. Guzma brought his large hands up to cup her face and wipe the tears from her cheeks. His heart was breaking for her, she was usually so strong.

“I promised Kyogre that after five years, I’d let them go.” Akara took in a shuddering breath that rocked her whole body as she opened her eyes. The grief Guzma saw there broke his heart all over again. “I kept them until I got to Alola because I knew they’d enjoy the warm water. I set them free today.”

“Oh, Doll… I’m sure they appreciate it, even if it was hard for ya.” Guzma kissed her forehead, eye lids, and cheeks before landing a peck on her lips. She only gave back the slightest of pressure in her grieving state and looked back that the display. “How come the ball ain’t broken?”

“I don’t want anyone else catching them. It can’t just be stuck in a storage box like a trophy! It needs to be free in case it’s needed again.”

“So, you’re just gonna have a five-mon team for the rest of ya life?”

“Bitch, I don’t even need three to put anyone in their place,” she said while wiping her face again, looking annoyed at the tear stains on her shirt. “If I’m serious, I just need Auron, Syl, and Carona to destroy anyone.”

“That leaves a lot of Type Disadvantages, especially with Auron and Carona, Princess.” Guzma smiled as he rested his chin on the top of her head, following her gaze to the shelf with only two items on it. She was acting a little like herself again, the bond didn’t feel as numb as when she first came home.

“I’ve trained them all to have the highest Special and normal Defenses. Pretty sure even the Water Type Z-Move wouldn’t put Auron down, even without Mega-Evolution.”

It was quiet for a few minutes while Akara just absorbed the strength Guzma was giving her. She hadn’t needed to lean on anyone in years, but it was a nice change from always being the pillar of strength. She could’ve fallen asleep to the sound of Guzma’s heartbeat if it wasn’t for the sound of something rattling the shoji to the kitchen.

The two turned just in time to see one of the shoji fall into the living room with Troy on top of it. Syl stood triumphantly on his chest for a moment, then went bolting into Akara’s arms and fussing over her like she was one of his Eevee kits. She spluttered around the kisses the Sylveon was giving her before standing up and holding him at arm’s length.

“Was knocking out the door really necessary, Syl? Guzma had it under control, ya worry wart.” He just purred loudly in her arms as she sighed and hung her head, eyes closing and a smile on his powder blue face.

“I think he TKO’d Troy.”

Akara looked over and, sure enough, the blue haired man was out cold from the worried Fairy Type’s Take Down. Thankfully, it didn’t look like any of the glass of the door had broken, so no worries of clean up or injury. She gave Syl the stink eye and he just purred louder, making her hands and forearms tingle from the vibrations. Akara shook her head and put him down.

“Let’s just get him to bed with some Advil and water for when he wakes up… I’ll make it up to him with a huge breakfast.”

“Gonna make some for me, too, right?”

“Of course,” Akara said while wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing tight. “Gotta take care of my boy, Guzma, don’t I?”

“It’s cheesy as fuck, but I love it when you call me ya boy,” he said with a content sigh and returning her embrace. “Cuz, ya know, you’re my girl and shit, too.”

She didn’t have to look up to know that Guzma was blushing from actually talking about feelings. Akara wasn’t sure she wanted to break that habit from him with how cute he looked with anything from a light dusting to having red from his hair line to his clavicle. She loved knowing it was just for her.

 

Troy was the last one up the next morning, wandering into the kitchen groggily at ten am. The pair of hosts had already done their respective trainings, cool-downs, and morning chores. Akara was in the kitchen making eggs, bacon, pancakes, and toast while Guzma was putting the shoji Syl had knocked down back in its track. Akara heard the obnoxious yawn that came out of his mouth as Troy sat down at the table and had to do a double take when she turned to plate the last of the bacon.

Troy was definitely the anti-Guzma when it came to appearances. His bronze skin complimented his azure hair (which was natural if the matching happy trail, armpit hair, and goatee were anything to go by), and his aquamarine eyes were fogged over with sleep. Where Guzma had a lean build, Troy looked like he could Hulk out of a shirt if he didn’t stretch right and there was a very impressive spiraling tribal tattoo on his left shoulder that snaked down his arm. His nose was only the slightest bit crooked and there were some faded scars on his face, but you had to be actually looking for them to notice them.

Neither of these imperfections took away from the fact that Troy could probably steal Steven Stone’s entire fan base just by breathing in the same room. Akara would bet money on it.

“You’re gonna burn the eggs, Baby.”

Akara blew a raspberry at her Mate before turning to flip the eggs. For once, her face was matching her hair at being caught looking. She finished up plating all the food and brought it to the table. Guzma took some of the plates off her hands to help, smirking when he caught her eyes and pink dusted her cheeks at his teasing gaze.

“Shut your whore mouth, Guzma,” she said while serving Troy a plate, then Guzma, then herself.

“Nothin’ wrong with lookin’ at my man Troy. He knows he looks good, Babe,” Guzma said with shit eating smirk still on his face. Troy was still half asleep and couldn’t quite comprehend that his old Boss was literally playing with fire.

“I swear to Arceus, Guzma, I will put that bubblegum pink eternity collar on you and hide all the allen wrenches.” Akara had on a dark purple one that Guzma had picked out for her the night before. He liked how the purple looked against her caramel skin and fiery hair. It looked even better with the blush traveling over her neck, in his opinion. “I’ll even put the ‘Kitten’ tag and the bell on it! And you **know** I can hold you down while I do it!”

“Boss, stop makin’ your Shawty mad,” their guest mumbled around his cup of apple cider, giving Akara a sleepy wink and smirk. “She’s cute enough.”

Guzma cackled at the blush that immediately blossomed from her hairline to the collar around her neck. He knew she was weird about taking compliments, but she didn’t blush this hard even when they were talking dirty. Guzma planted a kiss on her cheek that was met with a snap of her teeth like she was going to bite him. He chuckled as she shoved his shoulder and mumbled at him to eat his breakfast.

“I hate you both… Stupidly attractive Alolan men and your perfect fucking faces…”

Troy was absolutely oblivious to the small discourse that he’d started as he smoothed apple jam on his toast, but karma had a way of balancing things out lately.

 

“APPLE JEBUS TAKE THE WHEEL!”

“Troy! Play dead!”

After she had made good on her threat of the Kitten Collar, Akara had decided to try and teach the men about how to deal with Pokémon that had terrible tempers, like Primape and Pinsir. Since Guzma already had experience with ornery Bug Types, he’d suggested they use Titan. Tyrantrum were usually very ill-tempered, but Titan was a sweetheart who still thought she was a lap Pokémon and they couldn’t find anything dangerous sans actually getting in her mouth or trying to hand feed her.

Until Guzma told Troy to take her favorite toy. Now, the twenty-five year old was running for his life around the yard with Titan stomping behind him and snapping for her toy. Akara was sitting on the oversized swing she had on the engawa with Ninetails and Syl, watching with a keen eye.

Akara isn’t quite sure why the boys even touched the slobber covered thing. Even she didn’t like to touch it without some gloves on due to the amount of meat she found in between the large braids of it. The toy in question was nothing more than a giant rope toy. The ropes were made from Ariados silk that had been treated with Pyukumuku slime to make it strong like Kevlar so it wouldn’t break while it was being roughed up. It was a two feet wide and about six feet long without the large knots at the ends. The toy also acted as a sort of floss for Titans dagger-like teeth so she didn’t get any dental issues or food stuck in her mouth.

“This was an idea… A terrible idea,” she said when Troy sprinted past her with Titan hot on his heels. Guzma was right behind Titan, bell on his ‘Collar of Shame’ chiming with every pump of his arms and legs.

Both Pokémon in her lap nodded at their Trainer, watching as Guzma tried to distract the revived fossil from the orchard where Troy had hidden with the toy. Titan seemed to lock in on the sound of the pink collar’s bell and started chasing him. He dove under the engawa and got as far back as he could. Titan raised a foot to try to dig him out and Akara gave a short, shrill whistle.

“TITAN!” The Tyrannosaurus whipped her focus to Akara, growling softly and putting the powerful limb down. “You know better, young lady! You don’t dig around the house!” She flopped down onto her haunches and whined like a petulant child as Akara stood at the edge of the porch, hands on her hips. “Don’t give me that shit! You’re bigger than we are and you are not allowed to maim idiots!”

Titan slammed her tail on the ground hard enough to leave dents and let out an ear splitting roar. Akara didn’t even flinch as her body jumped a few inches off the wood floor, just kept eye contact with the ancient breed. She noticed Troy slinking back over with the rope toy and held up a hand for him to stop before Titan could see it.

“Hold it up high for me, Troy.”

“O-okay, Sugah…” His voice was as shaky as his arms as he held up the massive toy, keeping a wary eye on Titan.

“Up, Titan.” She stood up with a huff, tail lashing behind her. Trainer and Pokémon never broke eye contact. This was a moment of dominance. “Stay…”

“Now, move slowly towards me and keep the toy above your head, hands as far apart as you can.” As he made his way toward her, Titan saw him and her tail whipped fast enough to cause a breeze, but she stayed like she’d been told. “Very good!”

Troy now stood a few feet away from the engawa and Titan. Akara could see him shaking and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it in her hand. The tremors only went down in intensity and he kept his eyes locked on Titan.

“Now… Take it nice, Titan.”

The Fossil type bent down with a happy sounding yip and grabbed the toy with her teeth. She was so gentle that her breathe was the only thing that touched the blue haired man. Just using the teeth in the front of her giant maw, she lifted it from his hands. Titan took a moment to get a scritchy-scratch on her snout from Akara before trotting off happily with her toy.

Guzma crawled out from his hiding place with a few undignified grunts, his mate wrinkling her nose at the dirt and cobwebs all over him. Troy fell flat on his back and looked like he was questioning every decision that had led to this point.

“Just take your shirt off, Bone Daddy, and use it to try and get the old webs outta your hair.” She turned to their guest and cocked out the hip with Guzma’s name on it. “Troy, did you learn anything?”

“Nevah listen ta the Boss.”

Guzma whipped his shirt at Troy, hitting him in the face with a dirty look as he got onto the engawa.

“Nothing besides that?” Akara ignored the middle finger her Mate sent her way as she stepped off the engawa to lean over Troy, pulling the dirt stained shirt off his face. His eyes widened in panic as Titan came back over and crawled behind Akara as she dangled the giant toy in front of her Trainer. Akara gave the rope a hard tug with both hands and a throaty growl of her own, leaning back so all her weight was on it, before letting it go and the Pokémon shook it like a ragdoll. “Tyrantrum are possessive and proud. Don’t take from them before being offered.”

Troy’s Butterfree finally came out from the safety of the house and began to flitter all around her Trainer’s prone form. She chittered in a way that managed to sound scolding and even smacked his chest a few times, but Troy just smiled and let her for a few moments before standing up and brushing off.

“Know what I learned today, boys?” Akara asked while she sashayed back into the house. She hooked a hand in Guzma’s collar and dragged him down to her level. She put her lips next to his ear and whispered, _“Y’all’re stupid.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold on to your panties, mother fuckers!
> 
> The Sucker Punch is coming!
> 
> Btw, guys, please comment! I'm not getting as many comments as before, but I love feedback and constructive criticism!


	16. Self-Destruct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ever wish, oh so desperately, that you could take back something you said?  
> Live like it's your last day on Earth because tomorrow just might be.

Another week passed and Hazel phoned to let Akara know that she was coming to visit since her boys were going to visit Aether Paradise with Sol to talk to his partners about their unique Bond. Guzma was sure that Troy was going to have a coronary when Hazel arrived with Caramel the Audino. The guy loved kids and finding out that one of Akara’s BFFs was having twins had him over the moon, especially with her due date only a little over a month away.

Akara had let him know that Hazel was a klutz and needed a little extra supervision, so he was doing his best to be helpful while also allowing her some independence. Troy helped with anything that Caramel couldn’t and soon found himself getting innumerous praises from the Pokémon and her Trainer. Hazel almost always had a blush on her face from Troy’s constant compliments, but he was always a perfect gentleman and gave her plenty of personal space.

Akara and Guzma didn’t say anything, so it was assumed that neither of them were bothered with the company.

Except they were; very much so. It didn’t mix well when both of them were impatient and had hair trigger tempers.

Akara and Guzma had been trying to take the next step in their relationship for a while now, but every time they made a step in that direction **something** came up. The performance for the grand opening of the Contest Hall, having to help

Troy had walked in on them by accident just that morning and Guzma had actually gotten in a short scrap with the poor cinnamon bun. Akara had started a training session with Auron and ended up busting several punching bags with her own kicks and punches.

Needless to say, Troy learned to knock, but he quickly forgot his beating once Hazel and her pregnant belly came waddling through the front door. He was currently showing Hazel the additions he’d put in the small orchards – a few different varieties Apple Trees – with Caramel trailing behind, ever the dutiful midwife. This left Guzma and Akara with some much needed alone time, but love wasn’t in the air for the Champion and her beaux.

Instead, discourse was on the menu as they raised their voices at each other. When asked later that day, Guzma couldn’t tell anyone what set them off besides “it was probably somethin’ that didn’t even matter.” The volume had sent the smaller Pokémon scattering out into the yard to avoid it, which brought Troy and Hazel back to the house to investigate. Walking into the kitchen, they were startled by Guzma’s baritone reverberating through the house in a tone Troy hadn’t heard since before Team Skull was disbanded.

“Ya know what? At least Lusamine actually got my dick wet instead of teasin’ me all the fucking time!” Guzma growled viciously in Akara’s face as he loomed over her shorter frame. She stood tall and met his cold steel-like eyes with her own looking like blazing infernos. “And she cared about her appearance - would it kill ya to wear some damn make-up or put some actual clothes on instead of staying in your pajamas all day? Ya look like a fuckin’ mess!”

“You’re one to talk, walkin’ round in the same sweats till they’re ‘actually’ dirty! And, last I knew, you couldn’t keep your hands or mouth offa this hot mess, but if you want your precious ‘ _Madam Prez_ ’ and her wrecked pussy, you can fuck on off back to her!” Akara snarled right back, getting right in Guzma’s face. His height and weight advantage didn’t intimidate her in the slightest.

“FUCK YOU!”

“HAH! I’ve been trying for the past month, but I mean, ya can’t seem to get rid of your boner for Lusamine! You must be getting off on her status cuz she makes more than I got, ya fuckin’ Gold Digger!”

“I hope Lusamine keeps her kids from your shithead of a **lil sister** for as long as she can, Akara, cuz y’all ain’t **SHIT** compared to ‘em!”

Troy and Hazel walked into the living room just in time to see Akara shove Guzma into wall hard with a feral snarl that he mirrored and took a step toward her. The blue haired man got between the two of them leaving Hazel in the doorway with her hands over her mouth. She’d _never_ seen Akara look that angry before and seeing it aimed at someone she knew the woman loved was, in a word, terrifying. Troy had a hand on Guzma’s chest and yelled for Auron to handle his Trainer, who was hissing and spitting like an angry Yungoos.

“Outta my way, Troy! I’m gonna kick the Daddy Issues right outta your bitch ass of a Boss!” Auron charged in and picked up Akara, having trouble holding her small wriggling form in his arms. Her nails were actually ripping small pieces out of his leather armbands. “Let me go, Auron!”

“Mind ya damn business, man! This is between me and her!” Troy might’ve looked like he had more muscle than Guzma, but he had something hidden that only came out when he was angry and even Golisopod had issues wrangling him in when it did.

“A’ight! Both of ya, knock it off!” Troy ducked a kick from Akara’s flailing form that caught his beanie and sent it flying to Hazel’s feet. Risking a glance at her showed that her ponytail elastic had broken in the struggle, leaving her hair wild and cascading around her shoulders. “What the hell has gotten into both ’a ya? Ya were all lovey dovey n’ shit yesterday; the fuck happened?”

“The Tri-Regional Slut has all the answers, dontcha, _Princess_?”

The way Guzma spat out Akara’s favorite petname made everyone’s hair stand on end. Hazel’s eyes darted to Akara just in time to see her spit at Guzma’s face with surprising accuracy, hitting him just under his eye. He exclaimed in disgust as he wiped it off his face.

“I haven’t had anything in this pussy that wasn’t your tongue or hands since Lumoise! I don’t just spread my legs for the smallest hint of praise like **SOMEBODY I KNOW**!”

“Drop dead, Akara!”

“TOO LATE!” she roared at him with bared teeth. “When you jumped after that cunt into Ultra Space, my heart stopped and it took paramedics five minutes to start it back up again! I’ve been to Hell – IT’S QUITE LOVELY!”

“I’m outta here,” Guzma scoffed as he pushed Troy off of him and headed towards the front door. “Maybe Lusamine will have a way to break the bond so I don’t gotta deal with ya shit!”

“Running away from your problems? Fucking shocker!” Akara finally escaped Auron’s hold and walked over to where Guzma was putting on his shoes. A smirk twisted her beautiful face into something ugly as she hissed, “Gonna make her kids call you ‘Daddy,’ too?”

Hazel’s horrified gasp echoed around the room when Guzma’s hand met Akara’s cheek with a loud smack, sending the Champion stumbling before she caught herself on the wall. Beneath the curtain of hair around her face, she stared wide-eyed at where one hand was stabilizing her as her other reached up to touch her rapidly reddening cheek. It was warm and it stung, that was for sure, but it wouldn’t bruise like his Night Terror induced swing hand.

Troy saw the look of shock flash across Guzma’s face before he schooled it into a stoic expression as Akara stood up and moved her hair out of her face. She stood tall, making a commanding presence despite her short stature. The angry red handprint on her face took nothing away from the intimidating way her eyes burned into his under her furrowed brow. Her fists were clenched at her sides as she took deep, even breathes.

It wasn’t his Soul Mate standing there, Guzma realized. It was the Hoenn Champion. Akara hadn’t closed the bond, but what he felt from it was different than her usual stream of emotions.

“Get the fuck out of my house, Guzma, and never come back.”

Her voice had the slightest waver in it that she wasn’t sure any of the others could hear, but Guzma did and it planted the seed of regret in his heart. He let out a ‘tch,’ flinging open the front shoji and stepping out into the unrelenting Alolan sun. He didn’t get five steps away before he heard her voice behind him and stopped him in his tracks for a moment.

“Guess you’re more like your father than I thought.”

Guzma didn’t say anything, just shoved his fists into the pockets of his hoodie and walking down the driveway. Akara didn’t move from her spot until she saw a paged Charizard ascend into the sky with Guzma on it and shoot off toward Aether Paradise. Troy and Hazel watched their host in silence, waiting for her to say something.

Akara suddenly let out a guttural scream and started punching the wall repeatedly, cracks forming around where her fists repeatedly hit. Hazel waddled over as fast as she could and touched her shoulder hesitantly, making her stop and lean against the wall panting. Her shoulders started shaking and she slid down to the floor. It only took a small sniff for Hazel to bring Akara into her arms as she started crying. Troy knelt next to them and rubbed Akara’s back as the Champion let out heart wrenching sobs and wails and Auron hovered around them like there was something to protect them from. It took half an hour for Akara to calm down enough for them to move into the dining room where she sat with her hands fisted in her hair and stared at the tabletop.

“Are the nuggets okay?” Akara asked, voice rough from crying. “Shouldn’t have gone off like that. It’s stressful for you and the babies…”

“Sweetie, I’m more worried about you. What happened? You’ve never fought like that with anyone. Not even Blue,” Hazel said while she watched her friend closely.

“Ya’ve been fine since I got here, Sugar. Might not know you that well, but that was some explosive shit and I’ve nevah seen someone get like that with the Boss.” Troy sat down some Tapu Cocoa for everyone and joined Hazel in observing Akara.

“It’s a lotta things…”

“Like what, though? We’re not Alakazam, we can’t read minds, babes.”

Akara clenched her jaw as she stirred her cocoa and looked away towards the open shoji and into the yard where their Pokémon were grazing and enjoying the sun. She was thinking of how to word how things escalated so quickly and was worrying her lip with her teeth. Troy could see why the Boss was so concerned when she was crying the other day – the gold of her irises against her bloodshot sclera was very disconcerting to say the least.

“We haven’t really been alone since we met.” Akara kept looking outside, eyes seemingly far away. She swallowed hard before continuing. “The five months since he’s moved in, we haven’t had any prolonged time alone to really work on our relationship except when something happens like his Night Terrors or that creeper that Nanu carted off… It’s like every time we decide to take the next step or work on something we both know needs to be addressed, something pops up.”

“So, y’all literally just needed to fuck,” Troy said, deadpan.

“Certainly would’ve helped, I think, but I’ve ruined everything by saying he’s like his father.” Akara dropped her head into her hands and groaned loudly. “It’s not true, though; he’s not! I probably wouldn’t have stopped if he didn’t slap me. Had tunnel vision after he misgendered Sol.”

“That was a very low blow. Your family doesn’t just openly broadcast that information after what happened in Kanto…” Hazel muttered around her mug while Caramel seemed to be doing a check on her swollen stomach.

“If it means anythin’, I know he regrets doin’ that. Boss respects the hell outta your lil bro and he doesn’t respect jus’ anyone.” Troy reached over and took one of Akara’s hands, stroking a thumb over the back of it comfortingly. “Once you both calm down, open the bond and find him. I think the house they were finishing up for me and my lil sis’ll be done soon, so I’ll be outta your hair!”

“And we’ll be busy with these two soon enough, so it’ll be you barging in on us to visit them!” Hazel said with a sunny smile and turned on the TV, news playing across the screen.

Akara sniffed and wiped a few stray tears away while squeezing Troy’s hand back. Auron leaned down to nuzzle against her face and received a watery giggle in response. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to the Blaziken’s and let his presence act as a grounding energy.

“I hope you guys are right…”

“Oh, Lord Helix…”

_“Breaking news, Alola! Team Rainbow Rocket is back and this time they seem to mean business!”_

Akara and Troy looked to the television and their jaws dropped at the live footage streaming on the channel. It showed Lusamine leaving in a pristine white (of fucking course) helicopter, Gladion and Lillie seemingly passed out in the back. Below it, Red, Blue, and Sol were being forced to the ground by Rainbow Rocket Grunts with assault rifles. Guzma was seen a little bit away, being held down by several of the Grunts.

_“VP Lusamine has made her escape with her children, as you can see, but she left the three Champions and former Team Skull Boss Guzma after they paved her way to escape. Several employees have informed us that it is solely Giovanni attacking this time, but we haven’t been able to reach them since.”_

“Akara, what should we-” Hazel looked over to where her friend had been sitting to find it empty. She heard steps coming down the stairs and Akara came stomping down in a pair of jeans, her red soft leather champion top, and one of Guzma’s hoodies that didn’t have the skull covered. She was braiding her hair into a Mohawk and had a red leather hip holster purse strapped to one thigh.

“Troy, keep her, Plumeria, and Eevee here. I know they’ll be here soon, but I don’t want any of them getting caught in the crossfire at Aether,” she ordered while walking over to her curio cabinet and pulled out a few Mega-Stones.

“You expect me to stay here while the boys are in danger? That’s my family! **OUR** family - I can’t just stay!”

“You’re pregnant and I can’t ride a Cherry with your stomach being that big.” They watched as Akara recalled Auron, Syl, Corona, and Styx the Rapidash. She released Cherry and she immediately Mega-evolved, blue flame erupting from the Charizard’s mouth. “Besides, the boys would kill me and you know it.”

“I’m not staying here, Akara!” Hazel said as she waddled over to the door where Akara was already mounting Cherry and making sure the saddle was secure.

“You don’t have a choice,” and with that. Cherry kicked off with a gale of wind that made the shoji rattle in the entire house rattle.

Troy watched her streak across the sky until he couldn’t see her anymore, but his view was soon obscured by a page Charizard. Hazel came stomping outside holding the other Charizardite and awkwardly got onto her paged Pokémon.

“H-hey! Wait a minute-!”

“Keep the girls safe, Troy!” The Page Charizard Mega-Evolved itself just as he saw Eevee and Plumeria come careening down the driveway. Before he could even make a grab for her, Hazel and her steed were off and he was left in the dust.

The three people watched as Hazel streaked towards Aether and each had the same thought on their mind.

“All four of the Champions are going to kick your ass, Troy…”

“Tell Jasmine I love her, please, Plume…”

“Jasmine?”

“His little sister.”

 

 

Meanwhile, in one of the larger laboratories in the basement of Aether Paradise, Red let out a loud Aerodactyl-like screech that split the silence. It made everyone jump, including Giovanni and the Grunt watching the four captives. The three men had formed a circle around Sol to try and protect him, but everyone’s Pokémon, Mega-Stones, and Sol’s Z-Ring had been confiscated, so they were basically a “meat shield,” to use Guzma’s term.

“What the fuck was that?” Guzma said while readjusting his position.

“Hazel must’ve seen the news because Red only does that when she does something spectacularly dangerous.”

“Sol, she’s probably on her way here and she’s eight fucking months pregnant!” Blue screeched at his pseudo-sibling, face white as a sheet. “Akara should be on her way already, why is Hazel!?”

“In my opinion, I really don’t see how ya thought she’d stay behind. It’s not just you two here. Sol’s here, too.”

“Don’t count yourself out just because you had a spat with my sister, Guz. You both said some shitty stuff, but she wouldn’t just leave you here.” Sol said, sounding a lot wiser than a twelve year old should. Guzma scoffed and tried not to get his hopes up. “Also, Akara probably isn’t going to be just sicing her Pokémon on the Grunts that get in her way, so Caramel will definitely needed.”

He was about to ask what he meant when a Grunt flew through the door. His nose was obviously broken and an eye was swollen shut. His clothes were ripped and small bite marks could be seen were skin was visible. He stumbled to Giovanni and how he managed to bow to the leader without falling over still baffled the four men for weeks after.

“Sir, another Champion and a pregnant woman are here and,” he paused to swallow blood that made his way into his mouth. “They are not fucking around in the least!”

“Explain yourself, Grunt.” Giovanni clasped his hands behind his back and assessed the damage to the man in front of him. “Are you trying to tell me a single Champion and a pregnant woman did this to you?”

“N-no sir… The Champion and the pregnant woman’s shiny Glaceon did this…”

“Popsicle did that?” Red and Blue look at each other, absolutely baffled, as Sol murmured the question. “Popsicle is a baby! He wouldn’t do anything to hurt anyone!”

“Hmm…” Giovanni pulled up the security footage of the next room Intruders would advance to on the largest screen.

It was just in time to see Akara come flying through the bashed in doorway and right onto a Grunt that was at least twice her size. Popsicle was right behind her and launched himself at the face of the other Grunt in the room. Giovanni’s jaw actually dropped as he watched the small woman wreck his subordinates in five minutes, who all had guns in their belts, with the help of the smallest Glaceon he’d ever seen. Hazel waddled in with Audino once Akara made sure neither of the enemies were moving and Caramel, Mega-Evolved much to everyone’s surprise, started healing the human’s hands and Eeveelution.

Hazel pointed at the camera and waved as Caramel and Popsicle returned to her side. Akara turned to it and gave it two middle fingers, a smile on her face that plainly said she needed to take some of her anti-panic medication. She proceeded to make a throat cutting movement with her thumb before the women walked out of view.

Red and Blue looked a little green in the gills from seeing Popsicle maul someone, but Guzma stared at the ground. Akara was obviously wearing one of his hoodies, so maybe things weren’t as bad as he thought.

“Have the rest of the Grunts retreat. Let them come straight here. No point in all of you getting your asses kicked by a woman.” The bowing Grunt finally straightened up and rushed out to spread the word to the rest. Giovanni shook his head and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You can’t just find good help these days.”

“My sister is going to kick your ass!”

“Hmm, we’ll see, boy. We’ll see.”

 

It wasn’t long until ice could be seen forming around the large door to the laboratory. The temperature dropped to the point where everyone could see their breath and even the glass screens of the lab were getting frost on the edges. Something thudded against the door once, then twice before Mega-Evolved Auron busted through with a scream, Popsicle catapulting himself off of the Fire Type’s back and towards the Grunt with the gun. Said Grunt screamed and dropped his weapon, darting for a side door and disappearing through it. The Glaceon puffed up his fur with pride before starting to gnaw at the restraints to free his human’s humans.

“Knock knock, mother fuckers.” Akara and Hazel walked through the broken doorway, the Tri-Regional Champion with a bit of sass in her step even as she helped Hazel so she didn’t trip. She turned to Giovanni, the women’s Mega-Stones glowing almost threateningly. “You have some things that belong to me, Giovanni, and I’m here to get them back.”

“Yes, your brother has been singing like an Alteria about you since we saw you on the monitor…” He stopped and pointed at Akara’s hands. “Is that blood?”

“Just a little bit. None of its mine,” she said while holding up both hands. They were almost completely covered in blood all the way to her wrists and her knuckles were split. The chunky black bracelet on her wrist only had a few drops of blood on it, so she must’ve cleaned it. She appraised her hands with a smile before shrugging. “Just didn’t see the point in wasting my Pokémon’s time, energy, and my items when I’m already pissed enough to just beat the shit outta someone, instead!”

While Akara and Giovanni traded the stereotypical quips that all heroes and villains do, Hazel made her way over with a small knife to help cut the boys loose. Red and Blue hugged her tightly after she’d finished and were about to thank Popsicle when they noticed he had blood around his mouth. Sol didn’t mind and allowed the Ice Type a few kisses before holding him in his arms and watching Akara and Giovanni.

“He took a finger off someone before they could use their gun. Mommy’s so proud of her murder puppy, yes she is!” Hazel accepted bloody kisses from the Glaceon as both men looked at each other and back to her. “By the way, Akara didn’t _let_ me come, I stole her other Charizardite and followed her here.”

“You _rode_ a Mega-Evolved Charizard here!?” Red said in a hoarse voice. Guzma and Sol shared a look of shock. Even Sol hadn’t heard him talk this much and he’d known the man for most of his life.

“That’s… kinda hot, actually.” Blue gave his wife a flirtatious look, making Red shove his shoulder and Hazel roll her eyes as she had Caramel heal where the rope had cut into their skin. He leaned over to whisper at Guzma, “That’s got me kinda turned on, not gonna lie.”

“Not the time, man,” he replied with a scowl, but as his eyes were drawn to Akara as she brought her bloody fingers to her mouth, made a V, and wagged her tongue between them with a very hostile look in her eyes as she talked with Giovanni. The soft leather bustier was giving her just the right amount of cleavage, her pants were riding low and showing off her stomach and his mark on her hip, one of his unaltered hoodies left unzipped to show off her body/outfit – everything about her screamed power and dominance. He felt blood rush down and tried to focus on anything else as he leaned to whisper back, “Same, though.”

“So, this is how this is gonna go down, Gio. Can I call ya ‘Gio’? Fantastic!” Akara didn’t give the leader of Rainbow Rocket time to reply as she spun three Pokéballs in one hand and two in the other. Auron shook out his arms and got into his fighting stance, one leg held high as he balanced on the other. “We’re gonna battle, I’m gonna thrash your team, you’re gonna pack up your lil ragtag team of Bad Dragonite rejects back to whatever alternate reality y’all came from, and ya gonna fuckin’ stay there!”

“And if I win, young lady?” Giovanni pulled out a Pokéball that was completely red and regarded her with calculating eyes, tapping his thigh with it. “What do I get if you lose? I found that your brother and Soul Mate have been through the Wormholes while going through Lusamine’s research. If I win, I want to take them with me.”

“Not that there’s a chance of it, but sure. Why not?”

“We’ll shake on it.” Akara raised an eyebrow at him as he held his hand out. “It’s just good business practice, Miss Soma.”

“Uh-huh…” Akara strode over and shook Giovanni’s hand, giving it a strong grip just like she had with Lusamine before marching back to the other side of the room.

“There! That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Auron stomped his foot with a roar, obviously getting impatient. “Now, let us begin!”

 

 

The battle was fierce and both Trainers were down to one Pokémon. Akara was down to Auron, still Mega-Evolved, and Giovanni had his MewTwo, also Mega-Evolved with MewTwonite-Y. Neither Trainer had used items on any Pokémon besides the one they had out now and that was reserved to Full Restores and Leppa Berries. The room was a disaster area; walls were covered in scorch marks, dents, desks were obliterated, and computer consoles were sparking where a Pokémon or move had blasted straight through them. Caramel had caste Protect on all of them and they were thankful when flames and poison came flying in their direction more than once.

But Akara was struggling now. This MewTwo wasn’t the one that Ash Ketchum had helped find some form of humanity back on New Island and it hadn’t managed to escape before Team Rocket scientists had corrupted it. This Pokémon had been subject to years of inhumane treatment and was as cruel as its Trainer. More than one of Akara’s Pokémon would need emergency care once this was all said and done.

“Use Psychic, MewTwo!” MewTwo picked up the Blaziken with his telekinesis, holding him in place while he struggled in vain, and threw him hard at the wall behind Akara.

“Auron!” She moved until she was right in the trajectory of her Pokémon and jumped to catch him before he hit, but the momentum was too much and Akara’s back slammed hard into the metal wall with a strangled yell and a dull thud that seemed to shake the entire room; hard enough to leave a dent that was six inches deep.

“Akara!”

Despite being the one to yell out for her, Guzma was the one to hold Sol back when he tried to rush to her side. He hissed as the pain leaked through the Bond and seeped into his bones. Her ribs were definitely cracked, at least, and it looked it when she all but fell out of the dent and to her hands and knees. Auron hovered over her as she coughed, some blood splattering the floor, before she stood up and glared at Giovanni. Spitting a glob of blood to the floor, her gaze was defiant and they knew she wasn’t going to give up, she couldn’t.

Akara looked over to them as Auron took his place back on the field, eyes looking over Sol before her eyes locked on Guzma’s. There was a lot that passed through their eyes and the bond in that moment while Giovanni gloated about how superior his Pokémon was to hers. He felt sadness, panic, determination, remorse, but most of all Guzma felt an overwhelming amount of love wash over him. It made him gasp and hold Sol closer when he realized what she was doing.

Akara was saying goodbye, but why?

“Alright, Auron,” Akara said, turning her focus on the battle once again. “I have an idea… And you’re probably not gonna like it.”

“Oh, no!” Hazel gasped softly as she seemed to piece it together and start searching through her bag frantically. She dumped it to the floor and knelt down to sift through everything with shaking hands. “No, no, no, no!”

“What is it?”

“Akara, no! You don’t know what will happen if you do this!” Hazel yelled when she couldn’t find what she was looking for.

“Akara, yes!” The red head said with another cough, covering her mouth to hide the blood and looking at, what everyone realized was a Z-Ring, on that wrist. “Auron can’t take much more and I’m out of Max Revives and Full Restores… I have to do it.”

“Not even Kukui or Oak know what could happen!” Hazel whimpered as the rest of the group finally understood what Akara was about to do. Sol automatically started crying and struggling harder in Guzma’s hold and Guzma felt terror grip his heart like ice. Red and Blue may have not understood what she was doing, but they understood the gravity of what she was saying.

“I can’t just let him take Sol or Guzma, Hazel! I can’t tell my parents that I’m the reason Sol disappears from our lives! I already know what it feels like to have a Bond almost ripped apart and I can’t go through that again!” Akara’s fists clenched at her sides and her body was visibly shaking by the time she finished. “I’m not… I’m not strong enough to go through that again…”

“By all means, Miss Soma, do whatever you think you can to save them! Maybe I’ll learn something from a display of raw desperation,” Giovanni said mockingly. His MewTwo just floated on his side of the field, somehow looking threatening despite its head being a walking bottle cap opener.

“Ask,” Akara growled while spreading her feet shoulder width apart. “And you shall receive, you well dressed piece of shit.”

Crossing her arms in front of her body, the energy of the Z-Ring consumed her. Akara winced at the stinging sensation that immediately flooded her eyes, but she stared down Giovanni while she finished the dance she’d seen Sol demonstrate when training with a Litten. Holding her hand out, palm facing Auron, Akara smirked when she saw him. Her Mega-Evolved Blaziken seemed to be healed of all his injuries as the aura enveloped him and he roared as he felt the power flow through him veins.

“Ready!?” Akara shouted. Auron looked back at her and nodded, just as determined as her. She didn’t notice the sting of burst blood vessels in both her eyes, didn’t notice the blood that leaked out of the corner of her mouth or her nose. She tried not to notice Sol and Hazel screaming and crying for her or the way Guzma was yelling for her to stop, physically and through the Bond.

“What is this? What are you doing?” Giovanna asked as the combined energy of Mega-Evolution and Z-Move seemed to engulf his opponents and the pressure it exerted was like standing in the doorway of a burning building. This was probably the only time anyone, anywhere could say that they had seen Giovanni cuss and have the best “oh shit” face in existence. “What the fuck have you done?!”

“I am _never_ letting anyone take him away from me ever again! **Get wrekt, old man!** ” she seethed through her teeth, blood starting to leak from her eyes. **“INFERNO OVERDRIVE!”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd say I'm sorry for what's about to happen to all of us, but then I'd be lying!
> 
> Send all questions, comments, concerns, and fanart to https://www.tumblr.com/blog/akarah-sommah


	17. Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready for broken hearts and broken spirits?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Dr34m3rgurl back here again guest writing this chapter of the Ultimate Sad and breaking everybody's heart in this installment (and the next! Mwa ha ha!) Of I Put A Spell On You.  
> Playlist for maximum effect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4v6ClATj0A&t=0s&index=1&list=PLM4h5zMlZcwBUSpwUr7Lz8llmXUWWQjDm

The room seemed erupt into flames, the barest glint of Caramel's protect in the corner saved the others from the worst of it, but not from the intense heat and the shock wave that shook all of Aether Paradise. Smoke choked out everyone's vision, and without waiting to see who left was standing everyone started to evacuate the room in a frenzy. 

Guzma pulled his shirt over his mouth and nose, eyes stinging from the smoke as he panicked, blindly searching for Akara in the smoke. In no time, his foot knocked against something soft that whimpered pitifully, curling tight around itself. Without hesitation he picked it up, and tucked Akara carefully into his arms. He grimaced, warm and slick blood coated her front, and she even felt fragile as he booked it out of the room. 

More smoke billowed out from the doors, though at least in the hallway it was visible. Hazel had Popcicle icing down the door as soon as everyone was accounted for, though the heat made it a futile effort.

“That ain't doin' squat there Miltank!”

Hazel ignored the snub, leaning heavily against Red who narrowed his eyes at him.

“Blue's Blastoise and Red's Lapras aren't in... aren't in any condition to be out of their pokeballs.” Hazel huffed, clearly struggling. “Popcicle can ice down the walls and... and stop the fire from spreading so fast.”

Guzma looked to the walls, the Glaceon's thick sheets of ice already melting fast but absolutely soaking everything as it did. Guzma did a count of everyone in the hall, his grimace going darker. Giovanni and Mewtwo not among them, he can only have hoped that the two didn't suffer long. Based solely on the lack of sound beyond the inferno just one room adjacent and Popcicle's ice attacks, he guessed he was right.

“S-Sis!” Sol finally stumbled away from Caramel, who was frantically healing everyone's minor burns and scrapes. Soot covered half the kid's face, and thick tears left vivid tracks all down his cheeks. “Sis- Akara!”

Just as the kid limped over, Guzma's muscles failed him and he crumpled to the ground as he was all too quickly made aware of the searing agony that cut across every inch of him. Akara cried out from under him, and he heaved himself off her gasping to catch his breath.

“Feels like shit...” Akara mumbled, barely audible. She tried to lift her head up, and a jolt of paint shot down Guzma's spine as she whimpered again. “D'I win?”

“Yeah Doll, ya kicked his ass straight to hell.” Guzma carefully picked up her hand, clammy to the touch despite the oven that roared behind them. Her fingers twitched, but there was no strength to her grip. 

“Good.” She breathed out, and the world seemed to fall silent to everything but the two of them in Guzma's ears. “Good. Guzma... before I said... I said...” She fought for her breath, her chest's rise and fall unsteady and slowing. “I'm... Guz...” Her voice petered out. Her already limp form now completely still.

Sol dropped beside her, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. He moved for her hand, but stopped short. Blue grasped Guzma's shoulders, helping to him to his feet, but pointedly wouldn't look him in the eye. Guzma looked from face to face. No one would. 

Hazel took one step away from Red before faltering, and was immediately caught again. She shooed Caramel away from her, motioning towards Akara. Sol scooted away to make room for the Mega-Audino, who immediately set to the desperate job. Their lips moved but no words came out, every move they made increased the sound of silence that overtook him. Guzma felt cold and despite being surrounded, never felt more alone in his life.

He felt nothing.

The agony that had gripped him just moments before vanished with the last breath Akara took. Powerless to do anything but watch. Was it moments or hours that was passing? She looked so still, anything but serene. She couldn't be, she can't... he was the idiot here it should be his sacrifice!

“Baby. Baby please, don't do this to me please.”

Guzma fell away from Blue, knees scraping on debris. He cupped her face in both hands, futilely trying to wipe the blood clear. The red hue seemed to have sunk into her skin, already cool to the touch.

“Akara you can't, don't, please, anything but this...”

The touch on his shoulder made him flinch harder than any strike his father had landed on him before. He looked up at Blue who met his eyes for only a moment, but quickly looked away again. But the expression the former champion held, all the pity remorse and regret, it sent something boiling in his gut. Something violent and volatile. 

“It's my fault.” His voice was horse, he barely heard it in his own ears. Sol didn't miss it, and quickly got to his feet to meet him.

“Guzma don't say that.”

“You ain't denying it, you know it too.”

“You didn't do this! Giovanni pushed it this far-”

“I'm the one who started it!” Guzma roared, getting to his feet as well. His hands clenched into tight fists, nails biting hard into his palms. “I'm the fuckin' moron that thought runnin' here with my tail between my knees was a good idea! I got you an' Lillie an' Gladion an' Red an' Blue mixed up in all this Tauros shit!”

Something in the burning room behind them burst, punctuating the angry scream with a cacophony of fire and smoke. Popsicle smothered the immediate threat, but they were running their time in the hallway short.

“Something would have happened even if you didn't come here first, Lillie and Gladion's mom isn't right in the head, she would have started something without you! Then Sis would have... would have come anyway. She's-” Sol went quiet for a moment, tears bubbling up in his eyes. He bit his lip and took a deep breath. “Sis was like that...”

The words struck him hard in the chest, stealing the air in his lungs more so than the choking smoke, more so than any blow his father dealt him, than any of the abuse he put up with from Lusamine. The finality of Sol's quivering voice snapped a thin cord that was already pulled taught. He grabbed the front of the kid's shirt, lifting him up to his toes and snarled ferociously. 

“She's not-!” The emptiness from his mark reached out and touched him, silencing the lie. Guzma quivered, and slowly let Sol back down on his feet. His grip on the boy's shirt didn't slack, instead he found himself with his head on his would-be-brother's shoulder, who was gripping him just as tight. “She'd still be alive if it wasn't for me.”

“She'd hate you for saying that.”

“She'd hate me either way.”

Sol didn't get the chance to form a rebuttal, at that moment a hand on his shoulder yet again yanked him back, and a fist to his face knocked him down. Stunned beyond words, he looked up to Red, giving him a deceptively calm look and shaking his hand out.

“What the fu-”

“Shut up.” Red's voice was horse from general disuse, but held a firmness that did, in fact, shut him up. “She's not dead. She doesn't hate you. Shut. Up.”

Guzma's eyes flashed over to Akara, Caramel looking exhausted and positively beside herself with worry over Hazel who she was desperately trying to get out of the smoking hallway now that... now that...

Akara's chest had a shallow, but steady rise and fall.

Red motioned to her, more hand signs he didn't recognize, but Blue was quick to translate. 

“Pick her up carefully, but we've got to leave now.” Blue motioned for Sol to follow Hazel and scooped up Glaceon, just as he ran out of whatever was keeping him going as he bought them time. “That room isn't holding up much longer, this place is going down in ashes.”

Guzma didn't question him. He did as he was told, carefully cradling Akara in his arms again before booking it away. Another explosion behind them told him if they'd waited any longer, they'd all be paying dearly by now.

Emergency response teams were already gathered by the loading bay, gathering up the tourists and victims and Aether Paradise employees alike. Boats already were pulling away, many frightened passengers aboard watching thick black smoke rolling up into the sky. It wasn't long before they were crammed into a boat too, an ambulance waiting for them to take Akara to the hospital.

It was five days before Guzma worked up the nerve to visit.

Akara was tucked neatly into the hospital bed, IVS and monitors hooked up clearly proclaiming her livelihood. Flowers and cards decorated every inch of flat surface and most of the walls, well wishes from fans, friends, and other champions. Plumeria and Laire sat in the chair's next to her, Laire reading off letters to Akara from a stack. 

“Didn't think you were one for Hospitals, Plumes.” He tried to smile, but couldn't muster it. She looked up, managing a smirk of her own. 

“I'm not. Eevs wanted to read Akara the well wishes she'd been piling up, said she was hoping it'd help.”

They both turned to Akara, still as can be looking as if she were sleeping peacefully. Some bruises were yellowing over finally, though some of the darker spots around her shoulders had yet to yield to the passing of time. At least she was out of the ICU, Sol had told him it'd been a rocky 48 hours until she finally stabilized. 

Guzma had been slipping pokebeans to Hazel's Audino every chance he could, unable to properly thank it aloud.

“I just finished the last letter if you wanted to talk to her.”

Guzma looked up in surprise, Laire setting down the letters in a pile by the bedside desk, wedged between two floral arrangements. 

“Talk to her? She's still out.”

“She can still hear you.” Laire insisted, collecting herself and sliding out of the seat. “I've been by every day. Talking to coma patients is supposed to help them come around.”

Guzma didn't miss the accusatory tone in her voice. He knew what she meant. He should have been here. He should have been the one talking to her every day. He should have stayed that day instead of storming out. He shouldn't have let his anger get the better of him. He shouldn't have hit her. He shouldn't have-

Plumeria grabbed him by the shoulders, startling him out of his thoughts. She shook her head, then patted him on the shoulder and motioned to the now vacant chairs.

“Want anything to drink?”

“Tapu Cocoa.” Plumeria nodded, and she and Laire left him alone.

For a long time the only sound was the steady tones from the machines Akara was hooked up to and the clicks of the clock as time passed by. More than enough time for Plumeria and Laire to have come back, but they didn't. 

“Shit babe, when I wanted alone time with ya, I didn't want this.” He forced a weak laugh, clasping his hands together and looking down at his feet. “I didn't... I swear I didn't want this. I just... wanted to let off some steam. I was gonna come back I swear I-!”

He hung his head, a soft sigh escaping his lips. “Ya should have just let me go and told me never to come back an' meant it.”

A nurse passed by the room, giving him a curious glance inside before another nurse grabbed her arm and hurried her along quickly. His stomach sunk.

“I hurt a lot of people with that stunt babe. You should be mad at me. I should be mad at me, I'm just so damn happy you're alive.” He reached over and grasped her hand, holding it tight. Already she didn't seem as frail as the when he pulled her out of the burning room. “I'm just... relieved you're not gone.”

The hand in his twitched. Guzma nearly fell out of his chair.

“Akara?” He put one rough hand to her cheek, and she stirred. “Hey! Can I get a doc in here? Akara, babe!”

The doctor didn't even kick him out as he came in, checking Akara's vitals and responses as she roused, eventually sitting up, albeit shakily. The doctor ran through questions that she answered well enough, knowing her name and birth date, her parents and her sibling, and their birth dates.

“Do you know why you're in here?” The man asked, still checking her pulse. Akara hesitated, and finally shook her head. “You raided Aether Paradise after it'd been overrun by Rainbow Rocket, and saved many of the hostages inside.”

“Certainly sounds like something I'd do.” Akara slumped into her bed again, the line of questions too exhausting for her already. “Did I kick ass?”

“Yeah, so much ass.” Guzma piped up, grasping the rail of her bedside. “Only known person to pull off a Z-Move while their pokemon was Mega-Evolved, and it nearly killed ya.”

Akara smiled up at him, though something about it was vaguely... off putting.

“Good, I've got a reputation to up hold and I'd hate to disappoint.”

“Please don't do it again.”

“Yessir.”

The doctor left shortly after a few more questions, leaving Guzma alone with Akara once more, promising to return if anything changed.

“I've been meaning to ask something.” Akara started, fiddling with a bandage around her arm. Guzma nodded at her, silently prompting her forward. “I ah... Feel really bad about asking but, do I know you?”

“Do you-” Guzma's mouth dropped open, if he hadn't been leaning on her bed he swore his knees would have buckled out from under him. Akara balked, pulling her blankets up as if that'd shield her from his reaction.

“I just- I'm sorry I don't..!”

“N-no, no. Don't. It's fine. I'll let you rest.”

It wasn't fine.

It wasn't.


	18. Frustration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ultimate Sad comes to is thrilling conclusion, with a question begging to be answered; How far can you fall before you can't get up anymore?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you all still there? Lovely! Apologies for the long long long delay, I ran out of spoons most heavily and Akara's been pestering me ever so patiently to not kill you all with the wait too much longer. So ta-da! Here you all go my lovelies, dr34m3rgurl's angst part 2! Akara's got so much planned for you guys now that she's got full reign of her fic again, hope you're strapped in folks! Enjoy!

Within the week, Akara was discharged from the hospital, Eevee helping her into a cab to take her home because of the strict orders to take it easy. That included wild rides on her pokemon, so civilian travel would become the new norm for the next month or so. Akara fidgeted uneasily the whole way, watching buildings and landscapes pass on their way “home.”

The word itself worried her.

How much home could a place be if she couldn't remember it?

The doctors said that her memories should come back in time, that a bit of trauma was totally normal considering everything she'd thus far gone through thus far. That her brain scans had come back with no abnormalities asides a concussion that would heal with time. That if anything worried her further she was free to come back and ask for them, no questions asked.

None the less, Akara found herself with a burning question she was frightened to ask. 

“You're awfully quiet.”

“Just resting like they told me to, Evs.”

“I know you better than that. You've been sighing and staring out the window for the last fifteen minutes.”

“I'm just... anxious.” Akara sighed again, then her face contorted with frustration. “I know the thoughts in my head, everything I'm missing is there, but it's like trying to fight my way blindfolded through a maze. And...” She touched her side, fingers tracing over stylized letters through the fabric of her shirt. She felt nothing from her bondmate since the first day she had woken up, and even then the wave of emotions had confused her deeply. Profound regret, then a soft touch of affection, a vague sense of acceptance, then nothing.

Nothing in a week. Nothing she did reached him, nothing came through. Their connection wasn't severed, she knew that much, but the door had been slammed firmly shut between them.

“And what?”

Akara turned to meet Eevee in the eye, drawing a breath and asked her burning question.

“Was that man in my room, that day that I woke up, that was him, wasn't it?” Eevee nodded. “Why didn't he come back?”

Eevee started at that, giving her a wide eyed look.

“What do you mean he didn't come back?”

“He left shortly after I woke up, said he'd let me rest and... I think I offended him Evs. I didn't remember him, I _don't_ remember him. I must have hurt him bad...” She looked down at her fingers, clasped tightly over her knees, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill, and had been threatening since she came to the realization that the stranger in her room was, in fact, _her_ Guzma.

“You're not in the wrong here, Akara.” Eevee reached over to grasp her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. “You two have always had bad communication. And bad circumstances. For soul mates you guys sure do have it rough together.”

“I can't feel him.”

“He's probably off sulking somewhere. Honest thoughts?” Akara nodded, prompting Eevee to continue. “Guzma did cause the spark that lit the whole situation to Arceus knows where, but you guys had been sitting on a powder keg of raw conflict and unsaid frustrations for weeks.”

Akara could hear her friend blaming Guzma, it was in her tone, even if she didn't outright say it. Eevee chose her words slowly and carefully, but her expressions and poise gave her away otherwise. Neither pressed the issue further, simply rode back to the ranch in fragile silence.

The following weeks wreaked havoc on her nerves.

More than once she'd woken up in a panic, frantically feeling across her bed for a comfort that just wasn't there from a dream she couldn't remember. Her whole house felt like a far off dream, and every corner brought familiarity to the tip of her tongue but recognition just out of reach. Eevee and Plumeria visited often, both had pity in their eyes and sympathy in their words. Akara decided she didn't like being handled so delicately at all.

Hazel stopped by once, just to check up on her. Seeing her round and plump brought on fresh excitement, the first smile and genuine joy she'd felt in what felt like forever. The pregnant woman didn't even bring up that she'd known before, and Akara appreciated that. Though she was at a loss when said pregnant woman cleaned her house from top to bottom, muttering her apologizes and mumbling something about nesting instincts as she scrubbed a table top and organized her kitchen. The entire scent of her house was lost amid the lemony scented freshness of the soaps she'd used, and it somehow made her sad.

Sol came as often as he could manage, bringing with him their mother's cakes and any attempt to distract her from herself. Their mother came once to cook her dinner, too. Sol, however, was the only one she managed to confide in about her house; how unsettled it made her whenever she'd round a corner and expect something, something she couldn't put her finger on, and the profound disappointment when it wasn't there. 

Blue stopped by to torment her of course. It was a nice distraction from the usual babying she'd put up with up until that point. Gloating his extended stay, purely to make her as miserable as he could until she was back on her feet. Red popped up behind him by magic, purely to contradict his formal rival, signing that they really shouldn't travel with Hazel being so close to her due date. Something to look forward to, at least. She'd been a-okay with the banter until Red signed his parting words, just before leaving.

_We're here for you, whether you need us or not, we're here for you._

As soon as the door shut behind them, Akara collapsed on her floor, heaving and choking back sobs. Volcarona fluttered over, nuzzling the top of her head until the shaking subsided and she could manage to form words again.

“Was it so bad for him that he had to leave me with all these reminders of him?” She mumbled into her pokemon's fur, drying her eyes with her sleeve. “It's driving me insane. I don't want to forget, I don't want this damage, I just want to fix it. Why can't I fix it?”

Volcarona nuzzled into her head again, letting her cry out her frustrations as long as she needed to. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, only that eventually she was roused from her spot on the floor by frantic knocking on the door. With some reluctance she pulled herself to her feet, swiped her hands over her eyes that would no doubt be puffy and splotchy, and opened her door.

Plumeria stood panting, hands on knees and leaning against her door frame.

“You run all the way here from Po town?”

“You look like shit.” Akara ignored the comment. Even if it was true. “You need to see this.”

“The newspaper? A... Sinnoh newspaper?”

Plumeria pulled open the paper, accidentally ripping a page in her haste, to a section in the middle and pointed to an article detailing the 'haunted' house near Eterna City. Akara's eyes widened.

“No way...”

***

Ten days after leaving Alola, Guzma had found an old abandoned mansion in the Sinnoh region. He scoffed when he stumbled across it, taking shelter in another abandoned building too big for his personal needs. The whole thing reminded him of when he first found Po Town, long abandoned by then.

He remembered the bruises that were still blooming on his body, tender to the touch and the cuts that had finally stopped bleeding. His dad had been especially pissed over something that day, over what he couldn't say. Something trivial, it was always the drop of a hat with that man. He remembered how much of him hurt, and not just physically either. His pride had been shattered ages ago.

The old Pokemon Center kept out the worst of the cold, though the broken windows let in enough rain to soak the entirety of the floor. He slept on the counter, huddled up tight in his hoodie, shivering all night until the morning sun woke him up, blinding him until his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness of day.

He remembered exploring Po Town, all the abandoned houses fascinating him beyond all explanation, and began inventing people and stories for the buildings. That one housed a single mother with three children. She worked hard as a surfing instructor to provide for her little ones ever since their father had passed away heroically saving orphans from a fire. The next one was where a young couple were just starting out, and often would hold cook outs for the whole neighbor hood. That one had a retired pokemon trainer who now ran a day care for both pokemon and humans. The one on the corner made the best pies in town, if only she could get the Pikipek's to leave them alone when she left them out to cool. But the largest house, at the edge of town, that was his. Where he ruled supreme, but in fairness, over everyone else.

He remembered eventually returning home, his mother sobbing on his shoulder and his father screaming at him about irresponsibility. But he never forgot Po Town. And frequented there whenever his father got violent until one day he just... called Po Town home instead. Somehow he wasn't surprised to be the only troubled kid who ran away to the abandoned city. Plumeria was the first to call it home after him. It was also Plumeria who corrected him, it was no longer abandoned. They two had claimed it as shelter, it belonged to them now. And also to any other kids who need it.

Po Town was haven from their troubled homes.

He missed it.

Sinnoh was colder than Alola, his usual attire felt useless against the wind as though he walked out in little more than his boxers on an overcast autumn day. Needless to say, he hated it. This rotting building wasn't home, no matter how similar it was to Shady House. Or the Contest Hall, as it were now.

He got through the days by keeping his head down, battling the occasional trainer for pocket money and buying food for himself and his pokemon on that alone. He made it a personal rule to only go to the stores after the sun had gone down, minimize his interactions with the rest of Eterna City's citizens. The less people who got caught up with him the better.

The days were long, and the nights sleepless. Keeping their connection closed was next to impossible during the night terrors, and the guilt of making Akara feel his sins was mounting. At least the wandering ghost pokemon let him know when he accidentally fell asleep now. The bitter flavor of his nightmares always caused them to shriek, waking him up in a panic and cold sweat.

One month into his self-induced exile, and he was by every facet of the word, a goddamned miserable wreck. The trainers started showing up more frequently, he heard them excitedly chatter about the pale ghost in the house with the exotic pokemon. Didn't take him long to figure out they were talking about him.

He brushed a relatively clean rag over Golisopod's carapace, the only companion he brought with him through this new trial in his life. The others he left behind with his old team knowing they'd take good care of his partners.

“Suppose I look enough like a ghost now, huh?” He wrung the rag out over a bucket, then scrubbed another dusty smudge across his shell. He didn't need a mirror to picture the way he looked now. He probably looked like shit. Eyes dark from lack of sleep, skin pale from lack of sun, hairy greasy and clothes dingy, his general unkempt appearance growing worse by the day. He felt like a ghost, and the only thing keeping him from taking the last step towards the end was the agony he went through when Akara lay dying before him.

He couldn't do that to her. He loved her.

Soul mates or no, he was the worst possible thing for her. Funny how it took nearly killing her to figure that out.

He heard the door slam open from down the hall, harried footsteps opening every door along the way.

“Don't the little squirts ever get bored of daring each other to go in here?” He growled, dropping the rag in the bucket and getting off his knees. Golisopod's antenna twitched, his head trained on the door to his claimed 'room'. Guzma swiveled his own head to the door, a tight knot forming in his stomach and twisting his guts hard.

No, no god please no anything- _anyone_ but her. His heart wouldn't be able to take it. He'd break. He'd shatter into a tiny sharp pieces that did nothing but hurt her further.

Akara looked as awful as he felt, and even still she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes on. She was breathing hard, looking him up and down with no recognition in her eyes. He didn't expect it to cut him as deeply at it did. But her voice, like warm and sweet honey to his ears, calling to him as reverently as any woman would to her lover. He would have melted in his spot were he capable of doing so.

“Guzma?” She gripped the handle of the door, all sense of balance escaping her.

“Akara? Shit- how'd you get here?”

“Flew all night on Volcarona.”

“Why?”

She looked taken aback, as if he'd just screamed something vicious at her, or the answer should have been obvious. The answer was obvious, he just couldn't believe it. He wouldn't. It was safer for her.

“You shouldn't be here. I'm all wrong for you, I'll do nothing but burden and hurt you.” He turned his head, the words tasting bitter in his mouth. Golisopod chittered unhappily at him, clearly feeling otherwise.

“That's not true, Guzma I'm miserable. No one will tell me anything, they're walking on eggshells around me, I just want to know what I'm missing.” She steadied herself, taking a step towards him. He flinched but she held fast, head high with what he knew to be false bravado. He knew her too well for that. “You're scared, I get that. I'm scared too. I just...”

She was in front of him, and Big Bad Guzma never felt so small in his life. She held her hands out in front of her, begging, pleading with him with her eyes alone.

“I want you, Guzma,” She whispered, eyes staring past him into his soul. “All of you. Flaws and all. I've got them too.”

“I know. Dammit, Akara, do I know. I know you. I _know_ you.” He couldn't help himself, he grabbed her hands and pulled her close, “I know how you care too much and I know how you'd break yourself apart before letting those you care about down. I know how you bull rush headfirst into danger and I know how you don't let anyone see you vulnerable.”

He buried her face in her hair, breathing her scent in, so familiar and comforting. Part of him screamed in victory, part of him agonized in despair. Everything about her being here before him threatened to send him over to edge, to whatever pit he'd dug for himself.

“So stay, please.” Tears pricked in her eyes now, clutching at his shirt with a weak desperation that if he truly chose to, he could break. It'd be so easy, just take her by the wrists and drop them.

He takes her wrists.

Slowly, holding hands carefully in his, he looked them over. Scars splayed across her knuckles, old and new. He kissed each knuckle. Each scar and bruise and scrape. The hands that worked so hard to save him. To save everyone. The hands that tried so hard and wavered but never failed. He knew her desperation, he could feel it. Having her this close shattered what strength he had to keep their bond closed. 

What could she feel from him then? How tired he was? How empty? How absolutely miserable without her he was?

He pressed her hands to his face, making her cup his cheeks and bowed his head over hers.

Before dropping her hands.

Closing their bond once more.

And whispering, hoarsely, “I can't.”

Akara staggered, staring up at him but he wouldn't meet her eyes anymore. He simply retreated back to Golisopod and shoved his hands in his pockets, back to her. She wanted to scream. She wanted to argue. She wanted to tear the room apart with her bare hands and drag him back kicking all the way to Alola and build everything back up from the start. But her arms wouldn't move an inch and her legs were locked in place.

“If that's what you really want?” Her voice cracked, and he didn't answer her. Wouldn't answer her. She had the gut feeling he had a very thinly veiled composure, and talking wouldn't get her anywhere, not anymore.

Akara turned on her heel, and walked out the door. Tears rolled down her cheeks without any hint of stopping. Her facade was crumbling around her, any hope she had of maintaining her own composure flew straight out the window the moment the doors of the old chateau closed behind her.

Volcarona was munching happily on the leaves off a bush, but stopped dead in its tracks and fluttered over to her in a moment's notice.

“I … tried. I tried.” She hiccuped, clutching tightly to her pokemon's fur. It bumped it's head against hers, nuzzling any attempt to calm her down for the second time that day. A voice cleared behind her, and she spun so fast that Volcarona had steady her.

“Do you think...” Guzma started, desperately trying to find the words he needed, “Someone as awful as me even deserves a second chance?”

Akara ran at him, slamming into him with a force he hadn't seen before. It nearly knocked him over, but he managed stay upright. Akara sobbed into his shirt, and he smoothed her hair back, embracing her as hard as he could.

“It'll be alright babe, I'm- I'm so sorry.” His own cheeks were wet now too. But he felt more whole than he had in a long time.

“Yes,” She choked out, muffled by his shirt, “Yes you damned idiot you deserve a second chance. Of course you do. You're worth it, I know you are.”

“You don't even remem-”

“I don't care.” She wiped her face on his shirt, looking up at him fiercely. “You're worth everything to me. Memories or not. And you're worth second chances. Third chances. Fourth chances. As many tries as it takes to get shit right. That's how relationships work, you have to work on it.”

That shut him up. He took to brushing her hair back, wiping her eyes, trailing kisses on top of her head until she stopped shaking. He didn't know how long it took, and quite frankly, didn't care. It was only a month and already he couldn't believe he planned to spend the rest of his life away from her. He'd missed her so damn much in such a short period of time.

“We need to start over then, babe.”

“I know that.”

“From the beginning. Maybe Plumes and Evs got it right. Start off getting to know each other rather than jumping straight to the domestic shit.”

Akara shifted against him, finding better footing.

“I can accept that.”

“'Sides, I always wanted to take ya out for a simple tapu cocoa date.”

She smiled up at him.

“I'd like that.”


	19. Uproar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have 15 new voice messages.

“Akara it's Eevee. Arceus above you have the absolute worst timing. Of course as soon as you leave things go to absolute shit and everyone's losing their shit and I swear on my life I'm going to punch that smug asshole right in the face as soon as y'all get back and-”

End of voice message.

Next voice message.

“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH-”

Message deleated.

Next voice message.

“-HHHHHHHHHHHHH-”

Message deleted.

Next Voices message.

“-HHHHHHHHHHHH-”

Message deleted.

Next Voice message.

“Red could you please- oh god my ears are ringing- Sis where are you? Oh Arceus I hope your inbox isn't just full of Blue's incoherent screaming, I'm so so sorry it's been hectic pretty much as soon as you left and none of us are really prepared for-”

End of voice message.

Next voice message.

“Akara. It's Nanu. Get back here as soon as you get this.”

End of voice message.

Next voice message.

“Hi sweetie it's mom! We're um! Packing up right now and trying to- Sol sweetie no we don't need that just get that bag over there and a bottle of water or something! I know you're trying to find Guzma right now but if you could just-”

End of voice message.

Next voice message.

“AHH-”

Message deleted.

Next voice message

“Mom! Auron grabbed my phone! Auron give it back dam- I mean dang it! No I didn't swear mom I stopped myself!”

End of voice message.

Next voice message.

“Akara it's Hazel, I- shit shit shit nope can't talk right now nope, shit!”

End of voice message.

Next voice message.

“Oh my goodness, Blue please stop screaming. Akara, it's Plumeria. We're all at the hospital. Call me... call someone back when you get this. And smack Guzma extra hard upside the head when you get this.”

End of voice message.

Next voice message.

“Yooooo Skull Momma everyone here is absolutely losing their collective marbles! Gettin' pretty hard to think straight with this cacophonous garble! What? Yeah I'm spittin bars in a time like this, ya dig? Can't stop won't stop this m'gig!”

End of voice message.

Next voice message.

“BLAZE! No Auron please give it back you're going to overheat my battery! No! NO I DIDN'T MEAN-”

End of voice message.

Next voice message.

“Akara. It's Nanu again. Just where the hell are you? Get back here, 'bout an hour ago.”

End of voice message.

Next voice message.

“Akara. It's Red. One boy one girl. Jett and Sienna. Hazel's fine. Get here when you can.”

End of voice message.

End of new voice messages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Last chapter I'm going to write for ya. Akara just really likes my take on things and gets excited for the ideas I throw at her. She'll be back soon! Hope you liked all the voice mails <3 Peace!
> 
> Love Dreamer <3


	20. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The USS Volcarona is finally back in Alola!   
> Akara meets her Niblings!  
> The conflict of Guzma leaving starts!

“FOR THE LOVE OF ARCEUS, SLOW DOWN!”

Guzma’s begging only seemed to make the smaller woman push Styx harder as they dodged traffic and pedestrians of Hau’oli City to get to the hospital. She’d jumped on the unicorn bareback, only having his bridle and reins on, as soon as they’d been allowed off the ferry docking at Mele-Mele Island. He’d just barely gotten on behind her before the Champion kicked Styx into a hard gallop.

It was only on the ferry that she could finally plug in her phone and listen to the plethora of messages left by everyone – even Auron, which surprised Guzma. She never went anywhere without the Blaziken. They’d been laughing at the chaos until the final message, of from Red, saying that Hazel had finally given birth to the twins.

Jett and Sienna.

“My niblings are here…” Guzma gave her an odd look before she had started beating him over the head with a rolled up newspaper. **“YOU MADE ME MISS THE BIRTH OF MY NIBLINGS!”**

The former Boss had no idea how they’d made it to the hospital without causing an accident or running someone over, but he’d never been so happy to be on solid ground in his fucking life!

“Akara, they ain’t goin’ nowhere! Ya don’t gotta push people – I’m so sorry about her!” he said while stopping a man with a broken leg from falling. Akara had accidentally ripped a crutch out of his hand in her mad dash to the nurse’s station. It felt odd to be the one apologizing, but he figured he’d be doing that a lot for the foreseeable future.

“You shut your whore mouth, Guzmania!” Akara whipped around when he reached her at the station and poked his chest hard. “ **You** are the reason I’m like this in the first place!”

“Why did I ever tell ya my full name? For fuck’s sake…”

“Hey… Pardon me.” The nurse was ignoring then while she filed her nails. Looked like one of the soon-to-be Nurse Joys. “Excuse me? I need to know where my friend is – her name is Hazel. She just had twins?”

The pink haired woman looked between them and scoffed, snapping her gum and turning around to face the other side of the nurse’s station. Guzma didn’t even try to hold Akara back as she lunged across the desk and grabbed the waif of a girl and drag her out of her seat. If it wasn’t for the loud snarl and anger in the red head, Guzma would’ve laughed at the situation.

Akara’s feet were clear off the floor, up in the air to act as counter balance while she was almost completely over the counter that was about chest height on him, and she’d dragged this girl who couldn’t weigh more than a buck twenty soaking wet right up to her face.

“Now you listen here, you cheap, dime-a-dozen, dollar store hair dye usin’ bitch! _I _am the **Tri-Regional Champion** Akara Soma and if you don’t tell me what room my friend is in, I will snatch that fuckin weave off your fake ass head! **DO YOU HEAR ME!?** ”__

__“Sh-she’s in r-room three hundred ninety-four! Th-third f-floor!”_ _

__“See?” Akara immediately let go and slid back onto her feet, a tone that could only be called customer service on her lips as she walked to the elevator. “Was that so hard?”_ _

__Guzma mumbled a thank you before following his mate with a smirk on his face. Akara hadn’t lost her attitude, that’s for sure. He squeezed her hand as they waited for the elevator to take them to the correct floor._ _

__“Stop bouncin’ ya leg. Shakin’ this whole box.”_ _

__“Don’t tell me what to do,” she muttered, but she threaded their fingers together and squeezed back. She took a deep breath and leaned against his side. “Can’t believe I missed this to chase your ass all over Xerneas’ green earth.”_ _

__“Sorry… I know how important bein’ here for Hazel was-”_ _

__“Fuck being here for Hazel! I missed Blue freaking out! You heard him screamin’ in the messages!”_ _

__“I also heard Laire and Plumes threatenin’ me…” he sighed as he adjusted the two egg containers on his back. “Not that I don’t deserve it…”_ _

__“I won’t let them hit ya too hard, Guzma. I’ll save that for when we’re in the octagon.”_ _

__“Great…”_ _

__

__“Oh, lookit my little niblings! I’m gonna gobble them up!”_ _

__“Oh, no, Akara. Too young!”_ _

__The three men gave Hazel an odd look for the comment as she handed over Jett and Sienna over to Akara, who immediately sat in the nearby rocking chair to coo at them. Guzma felt his heart swell at seeing her with the two newborns and a small smile spread across his lips. He gently took off the egg carriers and handed one each to the two Champions beside him._ _

__“An Eevee – for each of ‘em. Syl’s special brood, of course.”_ _

__“I just split my head open and now I gotta hatch an egg?” Blue groaned._ _

__“Nice bald spot, _Daddy,_ ” Akara snickered from her seat._ _

___“Yea, Daddy.”_ _ _

__“Akara, Red. Enough, please. He’s been through a lot the past few days,” Hazel scolded in a gentle tone. “I could go for some Jell-O from the cafeteria, though.”_ _

__“On it, Babe!”_ _

__“Not like he pushed two watermelons through a Ping-Pong ball sized hole.”_ _

__“Nah, I was just taking care of your Soulmate while you ran off for a month,” Blue growled at Guzma as he left the room, Red tugging him when he tried to square off with the former Boss._ _

__All three of the remaining adults winced at the mention of the Donphan in the room. Akara handed off Jett to Hazel as he started to fuss and leaned against the window rocking Sienna. Guzma took her previous seat in the rocking chair and put his head in his hands._ _

__“I deserved that.”_ _

__“Guzma…”_ _

__“No, Akara, I did. Instead of staying here to help ya remember and recover, I ran away cuz I couldn’t stand the thought of ya not remembering me. Us…” He trailed off and sighed, lacing his fingers together to curb the temptation of pulling his hair. “Wouldn’t be surprised if everyone really hated me after this.”_ _

__The room was quiet as Hazel fed Jett. Akara was looking down at Sienna, absorbing what her Soulmate said. Caramel was still hovering around the room, stopping at Akara after checking the new mother and child. The Champion rolled her eyes as the Audino healed some random ache she had in her shoulder._ _

__“Well…” Hazel started quietly. “You’re not wrong. We were all mad at you for what you did. You didn’t have to see her struggle to feel welcome in her own home.”_ _

__“Hazel, you can’t say shit. I felt more out of place after you had that Lemon Pledge Orgasm. It didn’t even smell like me when you were done!” Akara scoffed as she readjusted Sienna in her arms. “Plumeria is the only one that actually helped me by finding my old phone and letting me look through it!”_ _

__“We didn’t want to overwhelm you, Akara,” Hazel said in a placating tone. She reached for her daughter and Akara handed her over gently, laying Jett in the bassinet that had been brought in. “The doctors said it could do more harm than good.”_ _

__“When I could remember literally everything else with the smallest hint, you thought I shouldn’t remember my Soulmate; one of the people I actually died for in the first place?” she deadpanned, looking more nonplussed than Nanu’s Persian. “Getting rid of the only thing that brought me comfort when I woke up from the Night Terrors.”_ _

__Guzma flinched at the mention of her heart stopping. It wasn’t a moment he’d like to relive; her presence in the Bond flaring with pain and suddenly silent. No emotions, no phantom pains – nothing. She’d literally been cold, dead in his arms at one point and that fact haunted him still._ _

__“In hindsight, it was kind of hasty to do that…”_ _

__“Yea, well, hindsight is 20/20, isn’t it?” the red-head mumbled. She scrubbed her face with her hands and pulled herself off the windowsill. “I think we’re gonna head out. I’m not ready to be civil about this yet, don’t wanna lash out at y’all. Especially in front of the little ones.”_ _

__Guzma stood by the door while Akara kissed her niblings’ foreheads and said her goodbyes to Hazel. It was tense as they made their way back to the marina and onto a ferry, thankfully missing Red and Blue on their way out of the hospital. Akara stayed close to his side, arms brushing, as the ferry passed what used to be Aether Paradise._ _

__He knew the place had gone up in flames, but with all the technology at their disposal, Guzma assumed something besides charred platforms and pillars would be left. He didn’t miss the cruel smirk on Akara’s face when Lusamine could be seen on one of the recovery boats. Neither was the rude hand gesture she shot at the older woman when she looked over wasn’t missed when they passed. Didn’t seem like Akara cared when a few people took video or pictures of the interaction either._ _

__“I wish she had gone down with that place.”_ _

__Guzma looked over at her, watching the sunset light her hair up like a flame and eyes looking distant._ _

__“She is the cause of everything bad that’s happened in Alola since Sol and Mother got here. Abusing Pokémon in her labs, preserving them for her fucked up collection.” She shook her head as the ruins shrunk from view. Her hands were gripping the railing so hard her knuckles were white. “She hasn’t stopped trying to manipulate anyone, still tries to keep Sol from Gladion and Lillie, still trying to blame the kids from Skull for all the Pokémon that went missing when it was under her orders.” Akara snorted and turned her back on the water. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve summoned Kyogre and went out there… Wondering if I could get away with sinking her boat and having Kyogre drag her body down to the bottom of the fucking ocean.”_ _

__“You’re okay with murdering someone?” Guzma murmured quietly so anyone near them couldn’t hear._ _

__“In case you missed it, I already killed a few people when I pulled my Leroy Jenkins with Auron’s Mega-Evolved Z-Move.” Her eyes were distant again as she messed with her tongue stud. “I’m one hundred percent down to murder Lusamine, though. I was before Rainbow Rocket came back because of the shit she put you and those kids through.”_ _

__“In a sadistic and mildly concerning way, that’s kinda flattering, Champ.” Akara snorted, softer this time and leaned into his side for the rest of the trip._ _

__Getting home, she helped him rearrange his bedroom on the bottom floor to his liking. The throne was left in her room since neither of them wanted to move it down the stairs. Most of the time, Guzma was moving his stuff himself. Akara was being lovingly mauled by his Bugs and between Golisopod picking her up and just holding her in a hug and Masquerain fluttering around her head, she couldn’t actually get into the room to help him._ _

__Sleeping in two different rooms was odd. The beds were too cold, too big, too empty, but they agreed to take it slow. Around three am, Akara stomped downstairs and ripped his comforter off of him, throwing hers on top of his body and went back upstairs in a huff. Guzma got a text a few minutes later that had him smiling._ _

__“Can’t sleep without your scent so I gave you mine.”_ _

__It was weird, but he was already drifting off to the scent of bonfires and cherry blossoms._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Volcarona is Akara and Guzma's ship name since they're Fire and Bug specialists, ha!  
> Nibling is the gender-neutral term for niece or nephew and I refuse to call my nephew anything else lol
> 
> I'm sorry this took so long. I kept rewriting this chapter over and over again until it felt right.  
> Tbh it still doesn't, but I feel bad about keeping you guys waiting!  
> Is it bad that I already want to rewrite this whole fic? Lol


	21. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Huge Changes coming

Hellow everyone!  
I know it's been a hot minute since I updated and there's a reason for that.  
I've decided to rewrite _I Put a Spell on You_ from the ground up! I just haven't been happy with where it went, so I'm rewriting it!  
Chapter One will be up sometime today, rest assured!

Sorry for those waiting for a huge update - it's here, but in the form of a rewrite!


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